Kung Fu Panda: Love and War
by UNCLE SAM THE MAN
Summary: The Dzungar Army has been forced out of China. But, with their defeat comes a new threat on the horizon. As darkness looms over the land of China, unlikely allies will come together as a beacon of light and hope. Rated M for Violence, Language, and Suggestive Themes.
1. Sisters and Doubt

**Right After the Events of "End of the Dragon Master"**

* * *

To say the little pika monks of The Most Auspicious Temple of the Heavenward Plum Blossom Serene Moonbeam were frightened of the water deer mercenaries entering their monastery was a massive understatement. If anything, they were outright petrified. And, understandably so. In a span of just a few days, these cute little rodents, along with their panda allies, had been attacked by the minions of the very person they trusted most, and that was their beloved Grand Abbot Jindiao. But, after learning that Jindiao was a power mad dragon possessing the feathered form that they had grown accustomed to, the pika monk's trust had been severely shaken to the core, which only added to their fear.

Upon setting foot into the main courtyard of the temple, the water deer of the Poison Clan, accompanied by their leader Jade Tusk, who had finally regained enough strength to walk on her own again after being betrayed and injured by her former master, took in the quivering forms of the small monks before them. Upon seeing these small creatures in such a vulnerable state, even after they had proven to hold their own against the water deer that were more than five items their size, the Poison Clan once again felt an emotion that had been weighing on them since their master's betrayal; shame. Some of the female cervines looked away sheepishly, while others sadly bowed there heads and twiddled their hooves, further highlighting there shame.

Jade Tusk, however, continued to step toward the frightened pikas, who continued to cower back as the emerald toothed doe approached them. Upon seeing this, Jade Tusk, who in the past had show she was more than willing to kill these adorable puffs of fur, felt her heart twist at the sight. During the journey back to the temple, Jade Tusk, as well as the other water deer, spent the time in silent reflection of their actions. Jade Tusk even witnessed some of the does console one another as one or two began to cry at the realization that all they did for Jindiao was for nothing, and resulted in good, innocent people getting hurt, or worse. Including the cowering pika monks before her. In an attempt to get them to calm down, Jade Tusk lowered herself to one knee and, with an outstretched hand and gentle smile, began to speak.

"It's alright," she urged gently, gesturing for one of the monks to come closer, "we won't hurt you, I promise." The monks, although clearly curious, were still very hesitant to trust this water deer. Quirking an eyebrow, one monk, with as much bravery as possible, responded in a shaky voice.

"What about Grand Abbot Jindiao?" Jade Tusk felt her chest tighten and her stomach turn at the very mention of her former master, but, with a kind smile, responded to the pika's question.

"He will not be coming back," she assured the small rodents, "I promise you." The pika monks seemed to relax at the news, relieved that the maniacal vulture they had trusted over the years wasn't returning to the temple, and were especially after he had drained the Qi from some of their comrades. The curious pika monk who had inquired about Jindiao continued to speak with the same fearful voice, but this time laced with skepticism.

"How can we trust anything you say." This actually made Jade Tusk's smile fall, for the little pika monk had a point. How could they trust her and the Poison Clan, after everything they had done? As the pika nervously waited for Jade Tusk's answer, which seemed to be very non-existent, if her pondering gaze was any indication, the little rodent's attention was drawn to movement behind the water deer kneeling before him. Stepping forward from the group of water deer was a doe with long fangs like Jade Tusk, only both were real. Upon hearing footsteps from behind her, Jade Tusk turned to see the doe that had been a thorn in her side since she had arrived at the temple a year earlier. But this time, instead of being annoyed, Jade Tusk was curious, especially since the doe was clutching something close to her chest, as if she was afraid to lose it, her green eyes full of worry, but also, as Jade Tusk observed, commitment. Finally, curiosity got the best of the green-tusked doe.

"What is it, Huifang?" she asked in genuine intrigue. Dropping to her knees, Huifang, after taking a moment to look at the item in her hands, took a deep breath and, with a kind and loving smile that only she could give, presented what she had been holding to the pika. In her hands, as Jade Tusk observed, was a white sea shell, one that appeared to be polished to a near mirror shine. Jade Tusk's eyes widened at what Huifang was doing; as a token of goodwill, she was offering her lucky sea shell to the pika monks. While the Poison Clan knew what the object was, having had to put up with Huifang's antics in trying to find the darn thing whenever she had misplaced it, the pika monk's were very confused.

"A sea shell?" one of them asked in confusion. Huifang, upon catching the confusion in the rodent's voice, suddenly became wide eyed and cherry as she began to explain the significance of the shell.

"OH NO!," she exclaimed happily, which actually managed to earn a smile from Jade Tusk, who would normally scoff at her subordinate's boisterous attitude, "not just any sea shell! It's my LUCKY SEASHELL!" The pikas, upon hearing this, soon began to inch closer in intrigue, becoming even more captivated as Huifang continued to explain.

"My uncle is a general in the Emperor's Army, one of the best actually," she continued, deep fondness laced in her voice, "and whenever he had time off, he would come and visit me and my parents. There's this beach where I used to live, so we would always walk there when he stopped by. One time, we were walking and I found this shell." The pikas gawked at the immaculately shined shell that Huifang was presenting tot them, clearly enamored with her story. Even the other water does had became captivated by there colleagues tale. One even went as far as to ask,

"So what makes it so lucky, Huifang?" she inquired. Huifang was beaming from ear to ear, clearly overjoyed that the other water deer were taking in interest in her. Never wavering in her enthusiasm, Huifang continued.

"Because when I found it," she said, "things, for the most part, seemed to go right for us." Huifang's face soon took a somber expression, which seemed to unnerve the other water deer, as they had never seen the usually boisterous do so solemn. "I was a little fawn when I found my shell," she continued, more sorrow dripping into her voice as she started to remember very unpleasant memories, "my parents and I were poor. My dad was carpenter, and my mom a seamstress, but because our village was so small, they couldn't make enough money to buy food and clothes." Tears started to well in Huifang's eyes, her story making her relive very dark moments in her childhood. The pikas also seemed to become saddened at this sorrowful tale, one placing his paw on Huifang's arm. The Poison Clan themselves also watched and listened in sadness.

"But walking on that beach," Huifang continued, light starting to seep back into her soul, "was a nice way to forget about that. And after I found this sea shell," she paused to admire the shining fossil in her hands, "things definitely seemed like they were getting better. My dad got a job in a much bigger village, and my mom was able to open her own shop, but that was with help from my uncle. Everything was going great, and I figured it was the sea shell. For the longest time, nothing bad ever happened to me or my family. It was like the universe wanted us to be happy." Looking around, Huifang could see that everyone listening to her was doing so with bright and warm smiles. Looking back to the pikas, Huifang once again presented the sea shell to them.

"And now," she continued, her eyes conveying a feeling of camaraderie, "I think the universe just wants us to be friends." Looking back to his fellow monks, all nodding their heads in what appeared to be silent agreement, the head pika stepped forward and, after grabbing Huifang's open hands, gently closed them around the shell. Confused, Huifang and Jade Tusk looked at the little monk, who at this point was sporting a warm smile.

"Your token of kindness," he began, sincerity in his voice, "although appreciated, is not necessary." With that said, the pika stepped back and, with his fellow monks, bowed to the group of water deer. After placing the sea shell back into her vest, Huifang, along with Jade Tusk stood back up and, after rejoining the other water deer, returned the bow. Knowing that no sleeping arrangements or tours of the monastery was required, the pika monks went back to their daily tasks they had been doing before the Poison Clan arrived.

* * *

Later that night, the Poison Clan gathered all of Jindiao's personal belongings, save for a few portraits that they could use as target practice, and lit them ablaze in the Moon Pit chamber, seeking to make a new start in life without the crazed dragon dictating their every move. For a time, there was nothing but silence. Looking around the chamber, Jade Tusk could see some of the ladies just staring at the flame, others leaning on each other, emotionally and physically exhausted from recent events, and other's holding each other in comforting embraces. Some of them were even being tended to for injuries they had received.

Looking to her left, Jade Tusk could see Huifang tending to one of the does who had received a very nasty gash on her arm. Every once in a while the doe, a blue-eyed warrior named Haoxin, would wince, clear discomfort radiating from her. After another flinch, Jade Tusk was puzzled as Huifang gestured her over. Upon sitting next to the distressed doe, Jade Tusk was shocked when Huifang grabbed her hand and placed Haoxin's in it. Confused at first, Jade Tusk finally understood as the doe began to squeeze her hand, silently begging for comfort. Returning the gesture, Jade Tusk began to offer more in the ways comfort as Huifang continued to provided aid to their colleague. As Jade Tusk observed the otherwise ditzy doe work, she was amazed at the skill in which she applied the suture to the wound, which she assumed Huifang more than likely retained from her mother's work as a seamstress.

"Ow!" Haoxin whimpered, holding back tears of pain as Huifang continued to work. It was then that Jade Tusk noticed that Huifang was softly humming a small tune, more than likely a lullaby as a means to soothe the injured doe. Upon closer inspection of the wound, Jade Tusk could see that it was almost mended.

"Nearly there," she quietly reassured, using her free hand to gently squeeze the distressed doe's shoulder. But as Huifang continued to work, Jade tusk couldn't help but steal glances at Haoxin. The reason being that Haoxin was in fact the sister of the doe that had failed to find the Chamber of the Four Constellations before the panda children. Because of this failure, the doe was ordered to be "put out of Jindiao's sight...permanently."

At the time, Jade Tusk thought nothing of it, but now, the guilt weighed heavily on her. Noticing that Jade Tusk was staring at her, Haoxin, after another wince, looked to her leader.

"What is it, Jade Tusk?" the doe inquired in medium tone of voice. Taking a few moments to consider what she wanted to say, Jade Tusk decided that the best way was to just be straight forward.

"I'm so sorry...about your sister." Much to Jade Tusk's surprise, Haoxin was actually sporting a rather large smile.

"Why would you be sorry?" Haoxin required with a laugh. "She isn't dead." Jade Tusk's surprise soon turned into confusion, confusion very noticeable to Haoxin who continued. "Do you really think that the others, heck, even I would have what it takes to kill one of our own, let alone my sister?" After a few more stitches, Huifang proceeded to wrap the wound in gauze. At this point, Haoxin gave heartfelt thank you to Huifang before standing to rejoin her comrades, leaving Huifang and a shocked Jade Tusk where they sat, the latter's shock soon melting into a soft smile at what she had just heard. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Jade Tusk decided to strike up a conversation with Huifang.

"You surprised me today, Huifang," she said in her usually formal voice, but flashed the young doe a half smile when she took on a look of surprise herself.

"Really?" Huifang responded, childish excitement radiating from her as she smiled from ear to ear. Normally, such a response from Huifang would annoy her, but this time, Jade Tusk couldn't help but let out a chuckle as she answered.

"Really." With that said, Jade Tusk scooted over so that she could wrap her arm around Huifang's shoulder, which resulted in a tight hug from the overly excited doe. Recovering from the shock, Jade Tusk simply shook her head in amusement as she returned the affectionate gesture. Looking around, Jade Tusk could see that all eyes were now on her and Huifang. With a smile, Jade Tusk decided to address a pledge she had given at panda village.

"We **SHALL** be kinder," she said out loud, earning a round of smiles from everyone in the room. Looking back to Huifang, Jade Tusk pulled away from the embrace so she could stand and address the other's properly. "Starting with each other. From this point forward, we are not colleagues, or friends, or anything of the like." This confused the others, but that confusion vanished by what Jade Tusk said next. "We will be something more..." and with what came out next, the water does felt themselves swell with pride and affection for each other.

"Sisters."

* * *

**One Month Later**

* * *

Grunting and shouting could be heard from the Moon Pit chamber. If anyone were to investigate the sound, they would be met with the sight of several female water deer practicing their skills at hand-to-hand combat. Watching the training exercises, Jade Tusk would at times step in to correct one of her "sister's" forms, or offer verbal critiques. Either way, it did help in the long run of polishing their Kung Fu. Jade Tusk was just finishing in correct one of the does footing when she was approached by one of the temple's other resident species.

"Excuse, Master Jade, have you seen Miss Huifang?" the little pika monk inquired, her high, squeaky voice catching the doe's attention. Looking at the small rodent, Jade Tusk smiled warmly at her. Dropping down to one knee in order to be on a more personal level, Jade Tusk answered.

"No, Xin, I haven't," she answered kindly, "why do you ask?" The little pika smiled sweetly before answering in the overly optimistic, albeit, childish way that they do.

"We have a visitor at the temple who is asking for her," Xin responded brightly. This news puzzled Jade Tusk. Who would be at the temple looking for Huifang? Looking at Xin, Jade decided to see if there was more to the message.

"Did they say why?" Xin just happily shook her head at the question.

"No, only that it was important that he speak to her."

_He_, Jade Tusk thought indignantly, a sour expression forming on her face, which seemed to go unnoticed by the pika monk. Thanking Xin, who in turn left just as happy as she had appeared, Jade Tusk called over one of the other does, instructing her to find Huifang as she went to see what this "visitor" wanted. And if one thing was for certain, she would be ready to beat him to pulp if he had any intentions of hurting her sister.

* * *

**With the Visitor**

* * *

The sun was shining down in the open courtyard of the Plum Blossom Temple. The fresh spring air and warm rays of sunshine gave the temple a very inviting aura, especially to the new arrival to the temple. Standing in the courtyard, blue peak cap tucked under his left arm, dressed smartly in a matching blue military tunic, which was held tightly closed by golden clasps and covered at the forearms with wrist wrappings made of a lighter blue fabric, was a male water deer, whose deep brown fur seemed to shine in the sun. The buck also had a light black and brown streaked mane that he kept in a neat ponytail.

Looking around, the buck couldn't help but admire the architecture of the temple, his deep blue eyes scanning every curve and contour of the woodwork, impressed by the amount of detail that must have gone into it. The color scheme in itself was enough to impress the buck, who let out a long whistle of amazement. The buck's attention was soon brought to the sound of the same high squeaky voice that had greeted him.

"Captain Li?" Turning to face the little pika monk that had welcomed him, the buck nodded and gave a genuine smile as the pika monk continued, "Master Jade Tusk has been informed of your arrival and will meet with you shortly." The way the pika relayed the news made it sound, at least to the buck, that she had been given a great honor to relay this bit of information. The pair were soon interrupted by a different voice coming from behind the buck.

"Thank you, Xin, that will be all." After seeing the little monk off, the buck turned to the source of the voice to a sight he did not expect see. Approaching him was, in his opinion, the most beautiful water deer he had ever seen in his life. His wide eyes took in the very attractive curves of her lithe, but physically fit figure, which were accented very well by her red vest with purple trim and tan training pants. But what stuck out most about this woman was the fact that her left tusk appeared to be made of pure jade. Upon hearing the doe clear her throat, the soldier turned his attention to a pair of stunning, yet clearly annoyed, amber eyes.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Earlier, With Jade Tusk**

* * *

If Jade Tusk was being honest with herself, she did not expect the visitor to the temple to be another water deer, and a buck no less. As she walked toward the center of the courtyard, all she could see at the moment was the brown furred buck's back, which was covered by a neatly kept blue military tunic bound at the waist by a red sash, and at the forearms with a lighter blue wrappings. Stopping at about the shoulder blades was a neatly braided black and brown mane. As Jade Tusk observed, the buck had long legs that were covered by beige trousers covered below the knee by puttees that were the same light blue as his arm wrappings. Seeing Xin address the buck, Jade Tusk decided to make herself known.

"Thank You, Xin, that will be all." As Xin left the buck turned to face Jade Tusk, who was a bit taken back by his, as she had to admit, chiseled and handsome features, as well as his stunning blue eyes. She could also see that his tunic was fastened at the front by golden clasps. But one thing that stuck out the most Jade Tusk was what appeared to be a single-shot pistol, holstered on the buck's left hip, which did little to ease Jade Tusk's suspicions toward his potential motives. It was at that moment that Jade Tusk noticed the buck also appeared to be gauging her appearance as well. Starting to feel a little annoyed, Jade Tusk cleared her throat, which definitely succeeded in gaining the now embarrassed buck's attention. Standing to attention, the buck began to speak.

"Are you Master Jade Tusk?" He inquired respectfully in a rich baritone voice, one that also conveyed authority and seemed to command respect, something which Jade Tusk was having none of.

"Clearly," Jade Tusk responded, not very amused. The buck responded with a crisp salute, relieved he had found the correct temple as he began to speak again.

"Captain Chang Li, 8th Royal Regiment, Blue Banners," he responded smartly, dropping the salute once he had finished. Jade Tusk, still annoyed, decided to get right to the point.

"And what is it you want with Huifang, Captain?" she inquired matter-of-factly. Before Captain Li could answer, a happy shout sounded through the courtyard.

"CHANG!" Looking to the source of the sound, the Captain was nearly tackled to the ground by the force of Huifang's hug. Recovering from the shock, Chang laughed warmly as he returned the embrace, lifting the excited doe and spinning her around, making the doe laugh in return.

"Huifang," Chang laughed, finally setting her down, "it is so good to see you again!" At this point, any thought Jade Tusk had about the Captain harming Huifang was gone. Clearly the two knew each other, and quite well giving the interaction they had just had. Stepping toward the pair, Jade Tusk decided to finally get some answers as to why Chang Li was there for Huifang. Needless to say, what she heard was not very welcoming news.

* * *

**One Hour Later**

* * *

Jade Tusk and Chang Li sat alone at the dining table in the temple's kitchen as Huifang packed her belongings. The reason behind it being a very personal matter. Removing her face from her hands, Jade Tusk looked sadly at Chang Li, who in turn gave her a very somber look while fiddling with his cap that sat on the table.

"I am very sorry about this," he said, resulting in Jade Tusk looking at her hands clasped together on the table, "but the General is very worried about Huifang. When word reached us about what had happened with Jindiao, he felt that he just couldn't take any chances. He thought that by sending her here she would be safe." Chang Li paused briefly, bringing his left hand up to massage his forehead, and continued speaking as he did so.

"Guess he was wrong." Chang Li was, of course, referring to Huifang's uncle, General Hanfang, who, as Jade Tusk and the other does had learned from their "sister" was a very kind and compassionate man, although these aspects did cause him to be a bit of a worrier, as said by Chang Li. Once again turning her attention to the Captain, Jade Tusk decided to ask a very personal question, one that derived from something Huifang had told her shortly after the Poison Clan decided to reinvent themselves.

"Does this worry stem from what happened to her parents?" Chang solemnly nodded. Huifang had confided in Jade Tusk that her parents had died in her youth. When she was twelve her mother had died of River Fever, and shortly after she had turned sixteen, her father was killed after falling from a scaffolding while repairing a house that had been damaged in a wind storm. Being so close to both of her parents, Hanfang swore on his brother's name that he would look after Huifang the best he could, and to offer all the comfort and care he had at his disposal. After a moment of thought, Jade Tusk sighed before speaking. "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand. I will not make Huifang choose between us and her family." Chang, in return, offered a sad smile of gratitude.

"Thank You," he said softly, "I just don't think Han can bear the thought of losing another person he loves so dearly." Jade Tusk's ears perked in surprise as she heard Chang refer to the General in such an informal way.

"Han?" Catching on to her surprise, Chang chuckled warmly.

"Yes," he began, "I have been his second in command for so long that we have pretty much dropped all formalities at this point. At least when we're not around the men. The same could be said for some of the other officers." Jade Tusk nodded in understanding, secretly wishing that had been the case for her under Jindiao's command. The sound of footsteps entering the room brought Jade Tusk and Chang's attention to Huifang as she entered the room, a burlap sack, filled with what few personal belongings and clothes she had brought with her when she had first arrived. What surprised Jade Tusk was that Huifang appeared to still be in a very bright and cheery mood, despite the fact that she may never return to the temple. Standing from his chair, Chang approached Huifang, a small smile on his face.

"Are you ready, Huifang?" he asked gently, an air of friendship in his voice. Huifang nodded enthusiastically, clearly excited about being able to see her uncle again.

"Uh huh," she responded eagerly, "I've packed everything, I've said goodbye to everyone and..." Huifang's voice soon trialed off as her gaze fell on Jade Tusk, who gave a sad smile as she walked toward the boisterous doe. When Jade Tusk had stopped just a few feet from her, Huifang returned the smile, which only grew with what Jade Tusk said.

"I never thought I would say this, but," Jade tusk began, pausing as she placed a hand on Huifang's shoulder, "I am going to miss you Huifang." Before she knew, Jade Tusk was enveloped in a tight hug, Huifang's arms encircled around her chest.

"I'm going to miss you too, Jade Tusk," Huifang whispered, tears falling from her eyes as she hugged her "sister," who, after recovering from the shock, returned the kind gesture with same amount of enthusiasm, tears of her own falling as she held the young doe close to her. Chang simply stood back, smiling at the tender seen before him, which showed two sisters-in-bond, holding each other as they cried, smiling together at the lasting connection that had formed in the experiences they shared. After a few minutes of just holding each other, Jade Tusk and Huifang finally separated. Bringing her hands up to Huifang's face, Jade Tusk used her thumbs to wipe away the fresh tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she tenderly spoke.

"Go, and remember, we will meet again..." Jade Tusk pause, bringing her head forward so that her forehead touched Huifang's, both closing their eyes as Jade Tusk called Huifang what she had finally accepted her as.

"Sister."

* * *

**Early the Next Morning, Outside the Temple**

* * *

The road home was going to be long, so it was crucial that Chang and Huifang start their journey as soon as possible. As the pair walked the forest floor, already a few hundred yards from the temple, with a lantern as their guide through the night, the doe suddenly paused. Chang, sensing that he was now walking alone, looked back to Huifang looking up at the temple, where he could see Jade Tusk and the rest of the Poison Clan looking down at the two, caring smiles on their faces. Walking back to join Huifang, her sack flung over his back, Chang, shifting glances between the temple and Huifang, finally settled on the doe beside and decided to check on her well being.

"Hey," he said gently, almost as a worried brother would, "you okay?" After a mount of silence, Huifang, after looking at Chang, looked back to the temple, or more importantly, her sisters before speaking.

"Yeah," she said softly, a smile forming on her lips, "I'm better than okay." Offering one final wave to her sisters, a gesture that was gladly returned, Huifang turned to continue the next part of her journey. Watching the retreating form of his charge, Chang briefly looked back at the temple, making eye contact with Jade Tusk, who offered a meek wave to the Captain, who returned it with a smile.

"Looks like a certain soldier has caught your eye, Jade Tusk," Haoxin teased, earning a round a snickers from the others. Jade Tusk, without breaking her gaze on the two travelers, responded.

"I suppose so," she said, a bit of longing laced in her voice. As she continued to watch the retreating forms, another doe stepped forward, following Jade Tusk's gaze.

"Huifang will always have a place hear, right Jade Tusk?" she asked with sadness and uncertainty. With a smile, Jade Tusk wrapped her arm around the doe, pulling her close.

"Yes, my dear," she responded sweetly, "Huifang will always have a place hear, and with all of us." Looking to the others, a smile on each of their faces, Jade Tusk announced, "Come sisters, we have much to do." As each doe left to attend to their many responsibilities, Jade Tusk was left alone at the railing, looking at the space where Huifang and Chang had been standing moments before, only to find the space empty, and two water deer far form view. Reaching into her vest, Jade Tusk pulled out the parting gift that Huifang had given hear as token of sisterhood. Kissing the seashell in her hand and bringing it close to her chest, Jade Tusk whispered a promise into the night wind.

"We WILL meet again, that I promise you...Sister."

* * *

**Ten Months Later**

* * *

**The Forbidden City, Beijing, December 20, 1722**

* * *

Shi Long was feeling quite pleased with herself. Thanks to the poison that she had slipped into the Emperor's tea earlier that week, the ruler of China was on his death bed. Soon, Shi Long would finally have all she ever wanted. But there was still going to be another obstacle, which was the ever bumbling Princess Xiao, the Emperor's biological daughter, whom Shi Long believed had stolen the title of future Empress from under her just by being born.

In retrospect, the Emperor and his wife had tried for years to have a child of their own. When each attempt failed, they finally decided to adopt, which was how they found Shi Long. But, a few years later, Xiao was born, which her parents had called a miracle. Before long all of their attention was focused on Xiao, leaving Shi Long feeling neglected and unloved. At times, Shi Long would take walks in the empty catacombs beneath the Imperial Palace as a means of escape from her lonely life. And it was there that she met a new friend, or rather a shadow that was revealed as the infamous White Bone Demon.

And it was at that moment the two seemed to form an inseparable bond. As years went by, the Demon began to instruct Shi Long on how she could become Empress. And when she had learned that Shi Long was to become the Emperor's head advisor, she instructed Shi Long to poison the Emperor. Once that was done, all Shi Long had to do was convince Xiao to abdicate the thrown. While she was hesitant to kill the man who had adopted her, Shi Long did so when reminded of the neglected life she had lived since her "little sister" was born. Now, with the slow acting poison finally taking it's toll, it was only a matter of time.

"Mistress Long." Shi long was pulled from her thoughts as her most loyal minion, General Fang, approached her in the large courtyard in front of the palace. Shi Long paused in caressing the metal orb with red markings in her hand to glare at the chow chow guard.

"What is it, General Fang?" Shi Long answered in an aggravated hiss. Knowing better than to waste the malicious komodo dragon's time, General Fang stood to attention as he delivered his message.

"The Emperor wishes to speak with you." Shi Long, after a moment of contemplative thought, responded.

"Very Well," she said as she strolled past the clearly nervous chow chow. Upon entering the palace, Shi Long made her way to the Emperor's quarters, wondering what he wanted to speak to her about. Thinking it was something trivial that pertained to her advisory duties, Shi long scoffed at the very likelihood of that being the reason.

Arriving at the doors that led to the dying Emperor, Shi Long nodded to the chow chow guards to let her in. Upon entering the room, Shi Long could see that she and the very ill looking Kang Zi were not the only occupants. Sitting on Kang Zi's bedside was a water buck that Shi Long recognized as General Hanfag of the Eighth Royal Regiment and one of Emperor Kang Zi's closest military advisors, the fur on his cheeks wet, a clear sign that tears had been shed.

"Do not mourn me, old friend," Shi Long heard the Emperor rasp out to the buck, who solemnly nodded as his hand was weakly taken by the old Lynx, "just go and preserve our way of life." It was at that moment the two males noticed the new presence in the chamber. Shi Long actually froze when the old lynx weakly turned his head toward her. But what confused Shi long was that he gave her a tired smile.

"You summoned me, Your Highness?" Shi Long inquired, shaking off her confusion. Kang Zi nodded before weakly gesturing to Shi Long over to his bedside.

"Come sit with me, my dear," Kang Zi requested rather hoarsely. In fact, he sounded even worse than he did earlier that morning, as Shi Long noticed. After a moment's hesitation, Shi Long complied. After crossing the rather large floor to Kang Zi's bedside, Shi Long stood up straight, hands behind her back as she waited for the dying Emperor to speak.

Taking the hint that he was no longer needed, Hanfang quietly excused himself, but not before casting a suspicious glance toward Shi long, one that actually caused unease in said reptile. Once the buck had left the chamber, Shi long continued to wait for the Emperor to speak. Instead, she received quite a surprise when Kang Zi patted the space beside him, inviting Shi Long to sit. With some reluctance, Shi Long finally accepted the invitation, sitting on the edge of the bed while still facing the door from which she had entered. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Shi Long finally spoke.

"Is there something you require of me, Your Highness?" Kang Zi smiled lovingly at his adopted daughter before speaking.

"Yes, my child," he answered sweetly, which was enough to peak Shi long's curiosity as she turned her head to look at him. "Shi Long," he continued weakly, "you and I both know that I am not long for this life, which is why I want to tell you something I should have told you long ago." Shi Long's full attention was now of the aging lynx, now very curious as to what he had to say. However, what was said truly shocked her.

"I am sorry." Shi Long looked wide eyed at Kang Zi, completely flabbergasted that the Emperor of China had apologized to her. She was soon pulled from her state of mind as Kang Zi continued to speak. "These past few days I have had time to reflect of my life, tried to find any regrets. In the end I only found one." Now Shi Long was really interested,

"And what is that?" she asked in almost a whisper. Taking a breath to regain some strength, Kang Zi answered.

"That I did not treat my daughter as a father should have. Oh, my dear Shi Long, all of these years your mother and I spent tending to Xiao, I failed to remember that you were our daughter as well. I had thought that by making you my advisor, I would have been able to make up for my transgressions. But now I realize that I was wrong." With as much strength as he could, Kang Zi reached over, taking Shi Longs hands into his, holding them firmly for what he knew would be the last time. Shi Long herself soon found that she had tears forming in her eyes. In that moment, she began to form doubt and regret in her actions, wondering if her intentions were really worth it. Her thoughts were soon interrupted as Kang Zi continued to speak.

"But I was wrong," he rasped out, "nothing I could give or say to you now could ever undo what has been done. But I want you to know, my dear, that I love you so much, and that I am so very proud of you. I can only hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me." At this point Shi Long found she couldn't control her tears. Before she knew what she was doing, she had buried her face into Kang Zi's chest, sobbing as he weakly wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as he could.

"I forgive you," Shi Long sobbed, "a-and I love you too...but please don't leave me." Kang Zi smiled, pleased that he was able to mend his relationship with his daughter before he passed. Placing a gentle kiss on her scaly head, Kang Zi whispered a response to her plea.

"I shall always be with you, my child." Kang Zi's sentence was soon interrupted by a massive coughing fit. Standing quickly to her feet, Shi long rushed to a nearby table to pour water from a wooden picture into a small cup. In the distance she could hear the coughing begin to die down. Once the cup was full, Shi long quickly returned to her father's bedside, only to find a heartbreaking sight. Her father, laying motionless, his eyes closed as his chest appeared still.

Kang Zi, the Emperor of all China, was dead. Shi long prepared herself to fall to her knees and sob once more. But before she could do so, a raspy whisper resonated from the orb she had concealed in her robes.

"Do not weep, child," the voice said, "for this is the beginning of something wonderful. Everything we have worked for will soon come into play." Shi Long, after hearing these words, straightened her posture and, after wiping away of few stray tears, hummed in agreement.

"Yes," she whispered, a steely resolve filling her eyes and voice, "there is no turning back now." After a moment, Shi Long called for the guards standing at attention outside the room. As the guards entered the room, Shi Long did her best to finish composing herself before speaking.

"Get General Fang and the Princess," Shi Long ordered in a steady, but somewhat shaky voice, "tell them it's happened." Nodding solemnly, the two guards left the chambers, leaving Shi Long alone with Kang Zi's body. Looking down at the still form of Kang Zi, Shi Long's eyes softened as she leaned down and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

"Goodbye..." after a brief moment of contemplative thought, Shi Long decided to address Kang Zi as something she had, in ways, always seen him as.

"...Father."

* * *

**Imperial Army Barracks, Twenty Minutes Later**

* * *

"Any idea what this assembly is about?" yawned a water deer, his usually smooth brown fur a matted mess from being roused from bed. His companion, a grey furred wolf was rubbing the sleep from his blue eyes as they joined the rest of the 8th Royal Regiment in the mess hall.

"No clue," he whined, "but the sooner this assembly is over, the sooner I can get back to sleep." The buck laughed in agreement as the shoddily dressed soldiers quickly snapped to attention as their commanding officers entered the mess hall, standing on a table at the front of the large room. Standing at the forefront was General Hanfang, his tired emerald eyes gazing at the men he had served so proudly with. The tan furred cervine was dressed in the standard military uniform of the Blue Banners; a neatly pressed blue military tunic, held together at the front with cold clasps over a plain white under tunic that were covered below the elbows with light blue arm wrappings, as well as beige trousers bound below the knees with light blue puttees. Although he appeared to be quite young, his greying mustache, beard, eyebrows, and mane were a dead giveaway to his age.

"Regiment," a rich baritone voice called from behind the General, one that belonged to Captain Chang Li, his blue eyes scanning the see of soldiers, wanting to be sure that he had their attention before continuing to speak, "ATTENTION!" With that, every soldier, be it water deer, yak, wolf, lynx, antelope, sheep or tiger, snapped to attention. After a moment, General Hanfang stepped forward. Anyone closest to him would notice that he appeared very distressed. But for what reason they would probably soon find out. After another moment, he spoke.

"My friends," his low, raspy voice called out, a voice that appeared to be laced with sorrow, "something terrible has happened. The Emperor..." The General choked on his words, which did little to ease the worry of his men, who suddenly became very anxious at the very mention terrible news involving their leader. After a moment, Hanfang recomposed himself to finish his announcement.

"Our Emperor, Kang Zi...is dead."

* * *

"What does this mean for the Empire, Han?" Hanfang and Chang Li had retreated to the former's quarters ten minutes after he had relayed the news to his men that their Emperor had passed away. Hanfang, or Han as his Captain called him away from their men, his blue tunic unclasped at the front, leaned against his desk as he sat on the edge of his bed, his face in his hand as he continued to grieve over the loss of his Emperor and very dear friend. Looking at the pacing Captain, Han simply responded,

"It will survive, Chang, as it always has," Han said calmly, taking a drink of water he had poured from a picture on his desk before continuing, "after the funeral, Xiao will be crowned as Empress and..."

"But will the people accept that," interrupted Chang, "will the people accept a new leader after one that has served for over sixty years. There have already been two generations that have only known Kang Zi as Emperor, yours and mine included. Besides," Chang continued, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis, "Xiao is only fifteen, she doesn't know the first thing about running a country." Taking his face out of his hand, Han turned to look at Chang.

"She will learn," he said in a reassuring voice, "besides, she will have Shi Long to guide..." Once again, Han was interrupted by Chang.

"Han," he practically laugh, "to be perfectly honest, I don't trust that lizard any farther than I can throw her. I mean, sneaking off into the catacombs whenever she isn't needed. You don't find that at all suspicious?"

"Of course I do."

The blase answer caught Chang off guard. To him, Han was one of the most trusting people he knew, which, to him, wasn't a good trait to have, especially when you are a high ranking military official. But, to hear him say that he didn't trust someone was actually rather refreshing. Chang was pulled out of his shock as Han continued to speak.

"While I agree that Shi Long is up to something, we cannot act on mere suspicion. Besides, we won't be around that much longer to find out if our suspicions hold any water." That statement truly peaked Chang's interest.

"What do mean, sir?" With a sigh, Han answered.

"Before Kana Zi died, he summoned me, saying that he had received word that the Dzungars are planning another offensive," he said, making Chang's eyes widen in disbelief. "We leave in two days for Qinghai." Recovering from the shock, Chang sighed, casting his eyes down in dejection.

* * *

**Eastern Border of Beijing, December 22, 1722, 0500 Hours**

* * *

"Now remember, water the bansais..."

"When the soil gets dry..."

"Rake the zen garden..."

"Once in the morning and once in the afternoon..."

"And please..." Han was cut off as his niece, who had come to see him and Chang off while dressed in a green, leaf patterned hanfu and tan pants, straitened the color on his uniform, all while laughing at his over-protectiveness.

"Uncle Han," Huifang chuckled, "it'll be fine. I've got this. You just go and protect China, and I'll hold down the fort at home." Returning Huifang's bright smile, Han brought her into a tight embrace, placing a loving kiss on the top of her head, which was returned with a quick peck on the cheek. The sweet moment was interrupted by Chang, who faked a look of annoyance.

"What," he said, acting offended, "I don't get a hug and kiss goodbye?" Rolling her eyes, Huifang jumped into Chang's arms, receiving one of his very special bear hugs that he saved just for her, accompanied by mutual pecks on each other's cheeks. Pulling away from the young doe, Chang turned to his General.

"Ready, Sir?" With a sigh, Han looked to his niece as he spoke.

"As I'll ever be. Goodbye, my dear," he finished as he pulled Huifang into one last hug, which was greatly returned.

"Goodbye, Uncle Han." With a final wave goodbye, the two bucks left to join up with the rest the Regiment, unaware of the hardships that were to come in the next year.


	2. Soldiers and Spies

**Qinghai, China, 1723**

* * *

The reports of canon and musket fire filled the air. The stench of gunpowder hung heavy, throats, noses, and eyes stinging from the sulfuric discharge from the weapons. The moans of the wounded were the only sounds that could be heard over the constant ring of gunfire. Many surgeons and healers were hard at work, trying their best to ease the pain of their patients, no matter how difficult, even though Corporal Hu Chan had already preformed more amputations than he would care to count. But the bespectacled water deer, his fuzzy brows knitted together in concentration as he attempted to clean an arrow wound in a wolf soldier's shoulder, simply pushed the thought out of his mind.

The crowded camp of the 8th Royal Regiment was quiet, save for the distant sound of battle, as well as the moans and screams of the wounded and dying in the surgeon's tents. Stepping out from his own tent was a middle aged water deer, his tired emerald eyes scanning the rather gloomy scene of wounded or fatigued soldiers slumped against trees or each other, with a few stray groups either reading books or letters from home, or getting a hot meal in their bellies. Walking through the encampment, the old water deer traded nods with a few of the other soldiers who, quite frankly, had seen better days, if their dirtied blue tunics, beige pants with light blue wrist and leg wrappings was any indication. As he continued to walk through the camp, the old buck noticed a fresh faced young buck walking toward him. Upon stopping just five feet from the older buck, the young soldier gave a crisp salute.

"General," he said curtly. The action only earned him a small smile and pat on the shoulder as the older buck responded in a low and rough voice,

"At ease, son," to which the young buck did as such. The General's smile widened, as the young buck reminded him of himself when he had first joined the army. But now was not the time to reminisce, the General told himself, as it appeared that the young buck had something more to say.

"What is it, Private?" he asked in genuine curiosity, as well as concern that was brought on by the boys uneasy demeanor. General Hanfang always wanted his troops to know that they could speak to him about anything, no matter how difficult the subject. This is what made him different from all the other no-nonsense generals of the Imperial Army. But it also made him quite a worrier himself. Straightening up at being addressed by his superior, the young buck relayed the message he had been given to deliver.

"It's Captain Li," the private answered, "he wants to speak with you in the map tent." With a nod, Han left to meet with his captain, but not before giving the private another smile and pat on the shoulder. However, the smile soon faded as he began to wonder what Captain Li could want with him in the map tent, especially at such a late hour. Although, it might have something to do with their current situation.

Upon entering the map tent, Han noticed that the only occupant besides himself was a young, brown furred buck, wearing the same military garb that he was wearing, leaning over a map placed on a collapsible table, his neatly braided black and brown pony tail trailing down his back until it stopped just at his shoulders. Smiling at the buck he viewed as a son, Han decided to make his presence known, but in his own cheeky fashion. As quietly as possible, Han crept up behind his captain and, just as he was right on top of him, bellowed,

"CHANG!" Said buck, who was so engrossed in the map before him, jumped about a foot in the air. Wheeling around quickly on his heals, his right hand moving to the single-shot pistol he kept holstered on his left hip, the young buck's wide blue eyes landed on the beaming face of his general, who at this point was laughing heartily at his little joke. With a roll of the eyes, Captain Chang Li, try as he might, could not be angry with the man he had come to see as a second father to him and began to laugh with him as his grip relaxed on his pistol, all while joking,

"I swear Han," he laughed, "one day you are going to do that, and my pistol will be out and ready before you can even blink." With a roll of his eyes, Han continued to laugh as Chang extended his hand out, which the general gladly took in both of his. As he smiled at Han, Chang couldn't help but remind himself about how the General shared so much in common with his niece, whom Chang himself saw as a little sister. Noticing Chang's expression, Han chuckled as he asked,

"What?" With a chortle Chang Answered.

"I just keep forgetting how similar you are to Huifang, sir, both in appearance and personality." Han simply shook his head in amusement, silently agreeing with his Captain. Apart from his mustache-goatee combo, along with his bushy eyebrows and neatly kept pony tail, all greying with age and the stress of his position, Han was the spitting male image of his niece. With that in mind, a look of realization suddenly appeared on his face.

"Oh, speaking of Huifang..." Han was suddenly cut off as Chang pulled out a folded piece of parchment from an inner pocket from his tunic, smiling at the look of relief that appeared on Han's face as the latter took the the parchment.

"Arrived earlier this evening, right on schedule," Chang said, a smile still on his face. After a few moments of reading what was on the parchment, Han let out a sigh of relief.

"Huifang says she is settling in fine at the palace, and that the Poison Clan is glad to see her back. Also says that they've taken on a new member...a young doe by the name of Fa Jun." Sneaking a glance at his captain, Han let a cheeky smile form on his lips as he noticed that Chang's attention was greatly peaked at the mention of the clan of female water deer, with one member standing out the most to him. Although he never openly discussed it with the other men, Chang Li confided in his General that he had a very deep admiration for the Clan's leader, Jade Tusk, not just for her skill in combat, but also her actions during the defeat of Jindiao and the attempted coup by the Empress's advisor, Shi Long. With that admiration in mind, Han smiled cheekily as he continued to read.

"And to also tell you that Jade Tusk sends her regards." Han chuckled warmly as Chang stiffened at the mention of the emerald toothed doe. Catching on to Han's teasing smile, Chang quickly relaxed and scoffed playfully at the older buck before speaking.

"Well," he began, feigning annoyance with a half smile of his face, "if you are quite done, that letter is only a small part of reason I called you hear." Han's expression changed at that moment to utmost seriousness as Chang directed his attention to the map he had been surveying, at the corner of it, as Han noticed, a letter, which he took and began to read, taking in the very familiar hand writing, which, unnoticed by Chang, he gingerly touched, with longing in his eyes. But, before he could become too engrossed in the letter, Chang pulled his attention back to the map.

"The Dzungars have been pushed back to the Yellow River Basin," he began, his rich baritone voice laced with professionalism, "we are holding at the center, the Green Banners under General Song are holding them on the left flank, Red Banners under General Feng on the right. Last I had heard, the Dzungars were near the breaking point." Looking to Chang, Han couldn't help the look of confusion that appeared on his face.

"So, what is the problem?" Chang, still holding a passive expression on his face, answered.

"That was this afternoon," he said, a light tone starting to seep into his voice as he pointed to the letter in the General's hands. "The letter you are holding came in fifteen minutes ago from your 'special spy team.'" Looking to the letter, Han, with a nod of encouragement from Chang, continued to read the message. As his gaze danced across the parchment, Han's eyes began to widen at what he was reading. Upon finishing the letter, Han looked in front of him, staring at nothing before slowly turning to Chang, a small trace of a smile forming on the Captain's lips.

"The Dzungars surrendered?" Han rasped out. Chang, at this point, could not contain his excitement as a huge smile broke out across his tired face as he eagerly nodded.

"We did it, Han," he whispered gleefully, "we took Qinghai. It's over." After a few moments of processing the news, Han, with new found energy, began to laugh a full, hearty laugh, which was soon joined by Chang as the two bucks enveloped each other in a tight embrace, swaying back and forth in merriment at the welcome news of victory. The commotion itself drew the attention of some soldiers standing outside the tent who rushed in to see what was happening. One soldier, a young tiger named Long Chi, decided to speak up.

"Is everything alright, sirs?" the eighteen-year-old feline inquired. Breaking away from their embrace, Chang walked over to Long Chi, placing both hands on the latter's shoulders as he answered, all with a toothy grin.

"Better than alright, Long," Chang all but laughed out, "tell the men Qinghai is ours."

* * *

**Ten Minutes Later...**

* * *

Within ten minutes the entire camp was bustling with celebration at the news that the fighting between the Imperial and Dzungar forces was over. Despite the lateness of the hour, men were singing and dancing, while others helped themselves to extra rations, as well as a special treat of wine, courtesy of a nearby village. Two cups of said wine were in Chang's hands as he made his way to his and Han's shared tent, trying his best not to have spilled by the rambunctious soldiers.

Upon reaching his destination, Chang ducked down into the rather spacious tent, three candle stubs providing adequate light for himself and his general, who as he noticed, was laying down on his cot, wearing only his beige trousers and white under tunic, covered by a blue, gold embroidered waistcoat, reading over the letter that caused such joy within the ranks. Looking up from the letter, Han smiled at the cup of wine offered by the smiling captain before him. Taking the cup, Han sat up with a groan, earning him a chuckle from Chang, who decided to make himself comfortable by sitting on his own cot.

"Word has been sent to Her Majesty?" Han inquired hopefully, knowing that Empress Xiao would be overjoyed to hear the news of their victory. Taking a sip from his cup, Chang nodded as he glanced at the letter by Han's side. Pulling the cup away from his lips, Chang decided to continue pestering Han about a very sensitive topic.

"So are you going to tell me about your 'spies?'" he inquired with a chuckle. Feigning a contemplative expression, which was accompanied by a thoughtful hum as he sipped at his wine, Han playfully responded,

"No, I don't think I will." Rolling his eyes, Chang simply returned to his drink. But as he did so, one topic did cross his mind, a topic that was very often discussed with Han and the other Generals.

"Alright, well, Commander Gengyao wants to know what will be done about prisoners of war." With a hum of acknowledgement, Han spoke.

"Once their surrender has concluded, we send their boys back to their homes, shops, families, farms, the like." Taking another slow drag of wine, Han breathed a long sigh as the bittersweet liquid traveled down his throat. After a few moments he continued, giving further instruction on a rather controversial opinion.

"And the leaders, if they escaped, fled while my back's turned, that wouldn't bother me." Han then looked Chang in the eye to emphasize his next point. "When peace comes, Chang, it mustn't just be hangings." Opening his mouth to speak, Chang suddenly thought better of it. But one thing did weigh heavy on him about his general; he looked much greyer these days.

"By, outward appearance," Chang began hesitantly, "you are ten years older than you were a year ago." Han, with a vacant stare, merely hummed in agreement, which was followed by a moment of silence before he spoke again.

"Some weariness has bit at my bones." Looking at his half empty cup, Han sighed a sigh that Chang noticed was laced with sorrow. "I've never seen the likes of it before, Chang," he admitted, "what I've seen in this war." Chang's face softened as he looked upon his General, no, his friend in this very rarely seen, vulnerable state. Leaning forward, Chang began to speak.

"You knew what this was," he began in a gentle, comforting way, "what this was always going to be; intimate and ugly."

With another solemn nod, Han looked up from his cup, meeting the eyes of his most loyal captain and dearest friend. Setting his cup on the ground, Han motioned for Chang to do the same, which he did without question. Holding out both of his hands, Han flexed his fingers, a clear indication to Chang to offer his own. After doing so, Chang felt Han trace his thumbs over the tops of his hands. Their eyes meeting, Han reached up and gently cupped Chang's left cheek in way that a father would his son. Chang leaned into the fatherly gesture, eyes closing in content, glad he could cherish these private moments. Opening his eyes once more, Chang looked into the tear brimmed eyes of his friend, who with a shaky breath choked out,

"We've both made it possible for one another to do terrible things." Reaching up and grasping Han's right hand with his left, Chang brought it so that it was resting between them. While doing so, Chang brought up his left hand to cup Han's right cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tear that finally had the weight to fall. Looking into Han's eyes, Chang spoke.

"We've won the war," he began softly, "now you just have to help lead us out of it."

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

* * *

In the deserted halls and chambers of the Hubei Volcano, a wolf, clad in dark grey robes, walked through the foreboding fortress, once the stronghold of the most feared criminals in all of China, now, a mere shadow of what it once was. Upon reaching the main chamber of the fortress, the wolf, a slender, brown furred female with orange eyes, knelt down as she bowed her head before a torn and tattered red flag, that which bore a black symbol of what appeared to be a feline. After a moment, a soft, raspy voice sounded.

"What is it, Mu Lang?" asked the voice impatiently. Raising her head in the direction of the voice, the she-wolf's orange eyes met pale blue as she relayed the news she had just heard from their most loyal spy.

"The Dzungars have surrendered, my lady." After a moment of silence, the dark and foreboding cave was filled with a bone chilling cackle.

"That is very good news, my child," the voice laughed, "very good new, indeed."

* * *

**One Week Later...**

* * *

After about another week, the last remnants of the Dzungar forces had been routed and had either surrendered or were in full retreat. But, per Han's request, Chang saw to it that the retreating forces were not pursued. While Chang never quite understood his general's methods when it came to war, it was not his place to question him. Besides, he knew that Han had a good heart, a heart that beat for his country, men, and of course, his family.

Looking around, Han smiled as the last remaining tents of the the regiment's camp was torn down. This war had been a taxing one, but it was good to know that his men would be getting some much needed rest. Just three days after the main Dzungar forces surrendered, the 8th Regiment received a letter for Her Majesty Empress Xiao herself, inviting them to the Forbidden City for a period of rest and relaxation. Seeing as how the Green and Red Banner Divisions of the Imperial Army, under the commands wolf General Lu Song and bear General Sun Feng respectively, entered the battle late, the Blue Banners under Hanfang were given top priority, which was perfectly fine with the men.

Upon hearing footsteps approaching him, Han turned to the source of the sound, smiling as soon as his eyes fell on his loyal captain, who was accompanied by Company Medic, Corporal Hu Chan. Closing the Distance between himself and the two other bucks, Hanfang greeted them with a broad smile and cheerful voice.

"Chang, Hu," he said brightly to both bucks who nodded in response, chuckling as they both offered a crisp salute, "at ease boys, this is not a time for formality, but rather a time for celebration." The two younger bucks smiled at their general's words, agreeing with him one-hundred percent. Looking to Hu, Han smiled as he addressed the bespectacled buck, his round eyeglasses settled on the bridge of his nose, framing his amber eyes perfectly as his bushy brown eyebrows raised in interest at what the general was clearly about to say. "How are things on your end, Hu?"

"Going fairly well, sir," Hu responded in a somewhat nasally tenor, "almost all of the men have been tended to. I am just grateful that Generals Song and Feng arrived when they did." Looking down briefly, Hu opened his mouth to continue, but the words seemed to be getting caught in throat, which seemed to worry his comrades.

"Hu, you alright?" Han worriedly inquired, leaning down slightly so that he was able to make eye contact. After another moment of silence, Hu, who at this point had become lost in thought, quickly recovered upon hearing Han's question.

"Truth be told, General," Hu answered, raising his head as he spoke "this war has just been hell. This last offensive in particular. I haven't seen so many bodies since Tibet."

Han and Chang nodded solemnly, remembering how three-years-ago the Regiment came upon a deserted battlefield in Tibet, where Imperial soldiers had been massacred by the Dzungars. The two were pulled form the memory has Hu continued to speak. "But it will be good to get some rest after everything that has happened." Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Hu smiled as he saw that it belonged to Chang.

"That it will my friend," he said with smile. Han smiled as well, sharing the sentiment expressed by his men. Looking around, Han could see that the camp was now completely dismantled. In a single clap, Han brought his hands together.

"Well," he said enthusiastically, "it looks like we are all set to leave. Chang, have the men fall into formation." With a broad smile, Chang responded.

"Yes sir," he said brightly before turning on heels, bellowing out, "REGIMENT, FALL IN!" Within minutes, the entire regiment was in four organized rows, each soldier with a musket slung over their backs, heads adorned with blue peak caps that matched their uniforms, as were Chang and Han's. At the forefront of the formation was Hanfang and Chang, being the regiment leaders. And just before them was a young private, a buck, that Hanfang recognized as the one he spoke to a week before when they had learned that they had won the war. In the bucks hands was a flap pole, adorned with the flag of the crest of the Imperial Family. With a smile, Han began to issue the order that would lead his men to a period of relaxation.

"REGIMENT," he bellowed, causing all soldiers to stand at attention, "FORWARD...!" Looking to the young buck in front of them, Chang noticed that he was about to step down on his right foot.

"Left foot, private," he corrected in whisper, smiling as the buck quickly corrected himself.

"Yes sir!" he responded curtly. Seeing that everything was in order, Han gave the final command.

"MARCH!" Soon the area was filled with the sounds of hundreds of marching soldiers, each filled with glee at the thought of the comfort that awaited them.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a small camp near the Yellow River Basin, still burning embers of a fire let out a violet hiss as they were extinguished by a bucket of water. As the ember cooled, a single figure, clad in a grey tunic, which possessed a hood that was currently covering their head, and pants with red trim, walked away from the makeshift fire-pit, bucket in hand as they made their way to cliff that overlooked the entire basin. Across the river itself, the figures heterochromic eyes, one gold and one blue, could make out the forms of the soldiers of the Red and Green Banners, clear out the remaining Dzungar forces. With a smile, the figure walked back to the little makeshift camp and began to dismantle the rather large tent that was set up. As the figure did so, voice sounded.

"It seems your boyfriend really knows how to kick butt, sister." Looking to the source of the voice, the figure could make out the form of a female snow leopard, clad in the same attire as them, but with wrappings that covered the top of her head, including her ears, sitting on a nearby tree branch. With a gruff chuckle, the figure responded with a distinctive female voice.

"Han is a good man, Wing, and a brilliant leader," she responded, still fiddling with the ropes that held the tent up, "but if it weren't for us, then only the universe knows what would have happened." Rolling her gold eyes, Wing, with impressive skill and flexibility, jumped out of the tree as she began to walk toward her sister.

"Please Su," she laughed, "you know that if it weren't for us providing that information throughout this whole thing, they'd be deader than dead." Upon hearing the latter part of her sister's rather blunt statement, Su suddenly froze in her current task, head bowed at the thought of Han and his men being slaughtered by the Dzungar forces. Catching onto her sister's sudden change in mood, Wing, realizing what she had said, let out a sigh as she knelt by her sister. Reaching up, she gently removed the hood that covered her sister's face, Revealing the face of one of the most feared criminals in China, Su Wu. But, this Su Wu was different. This Su Wu was calm and collected, but not the same calm and collected that resulted in devious schemes to rule China.

This Su Wu was redeemed.

"I don't want to think about that," Su finally responded, tears forming in her eyes, "we almost lost Wan in the war, I don't want to think about losing Han."

* * *

**Flashback~Two Months Prior**

* * *

"I HOPE THIS INFORMATION IS WORTH IT, SU!" Wing called out as she and her sisters ran through the forest, all while being chase by wolf soldiers of the Dzungar Army. With a somewhat agitated tone, Su responded.

"UNLESS HAN GETS THIS INFORMATION, HE AND HIS BOYS ARE WALKING INTO A TRAP!" Su practically screamed, using her impeccable kung fu skills and feline reflexes to dodge a musket ball and arrow aimed at her head and back, respectively.

"I KNOW YOU LIKE HIM AND ALL, SU," Wan called ahead, having a bit of difficulty keeping up with her sisters as she was constantly dodging the onslaught from their pursuers, "BUT THIS WHOLE SPY THING IS REALLY BECOMING A PAIN IN THE...!" Wan couldn't finish as she let out a piercing scream, brought on by her shoulder taking a direct hit from an arrow. Tumbling to the ground, Wan moaned as she attempted to stand up, but failing as she could not support herself on her injured shoulder.

"WAN!" Wing called after seeing her sister fumble to stand, only to collapse when pressure was applied to her wounded arm. Seeing the Dzungar soldiers approach her wounded sister, something in Wing snapped as she went into what could only be described as a feral rage. Leaping at the soldiers, Wing began violently slashing at them with the dagger she kept in one of puttees, several soldiers falling dead in just seconds. As this happened, Su ran up to Wan and, with a warning to her sister, pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, earning a groan in response. Looking into her sister's eyes, Su's heart broke as she saw the usually bright and optimistic golden eyes of her sister fill with tears of fear.

"It's okay, Wan," Su soothed, cradling Wan's head, "we are going to get you out of hear, you are going to be just fine." After a letting out a strangled sob, Wan nodded. With that, Su helped Wan to her feet. Looking to her other sister, Su was met with sight of Wing standing over the bodies if the Dzungar forces that had hurt their sister, the sound of her labored breathing filling the air. Gently, Su called out to Wing.

"Sister." Looking to Su, Wing began to relax at the sight of her little sister Wan, alive. She was pulled from her thoughts as Su continued to speak. "Get Wan back to camp, I NEED to get this to Han." Su presented a scroll that she had been carrying the whole time, a scroll that contained information regarding a Dzungar ambush on the Eight Regiment. With a nod, Wing took Wan from her sister and, after offering her luck, watched as her sister ran along to deliver her message.

* * *

Su was suddenly pulled from her memories as she was enveloped in a tight embrace as her sister offered her comfort.

"I know, I know," she soothed, stroking the back of Su's head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." With a sniff, Su pulled away.

"No, it's alright," she said, "this is life after all. None of us can live forever." Looking into her sister's eyes with a smile, Su was suddenly pulled from the moment as she heard footsteps approaching them. Looking to the source of the sound, Su and Wing saw their sister Wan, clad in the exact same attire as his sister Wing, but with a piece of clothe covering her mouth and nose, approaching them, a scroll held tightly in her hand. Standing up, Su and Wing walked toward their little sister, both pulling each other into a tight hug, afraid to let each other go. Pulling away from each other, Su spoke.

"Hows the shoulder, Wan?" Moving her shoulder in a circular motion, Wan, after pulling her fac covering away from her mouth, responded with a smile.

"Much better, Su, but I think THIS is more important." Wan then produced a piece of parchment that was neatly folded. "I found this pinned to a tree. I think it's from Han." Taking the letter from her sister, Su could see that it was addressed to "My Trusty Spies." Opening the letter, Su began to read aloud to her sisters who listened on in intrigue.

"My Dear Wu Sisters, I thank you for your service to China, to the Imperial Army, and to Me. Please meet me in two days in the Forbidden City at Li's Bar at midnight, so that I may show my gratitude for all you have done. Best Wishes, Han." Smiling sweetly at the letter in her hands, Su looked to her sisters who were both sporting sly smiles. Catching on to her sister's silent teasing, Su quickly regained her composure.

"Shut up," she said with a laugh, "and lets get ready to head out."

* * *

**The Imperial Palace, The Forbidden City, Beijing~ One Day Later**

* * *

Xinshi was exhausted. The Chinese sparrowhawk fought to stay awake as she glided into the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, her blue and red trimmed uniform vest rather disheveled from her long journey. Landing with a huff, the sleek feathered avian fought to catch her breath, completely worn out from her journey. However, her energy was instantly restored when she looked up, her hazel eyes wide in surprise at what she saw. Standing just feet from her, two female water deer, clad in dark grey hanfus, bound at the waist by a black sash, had leveled there spears, the position of which put the tips just two inches from Xinshi's head.

"State your name and business," one of the water deer said in a low and rough voice, her blue eyes staring menacingly at the now nervous hawk. But, after taking a moment to recompose herself, Xinshi straitened herself up, bringing herself to full height, an impressive, by a hawk's standards, two feet tall as she took on a calm and collected demeanor.

"I am Xinshi," she began in a calm and respectable tone, although on the inside she was still very nervous, "Lieutenant and personal messenger of the 8th Royal Regiment of the Blue Banners. I have an urgent message for Her Majesty from General Hanfang." It was at that moment that Xinshi was very surprised to see the two does quickly retract their weapons.

"Follow us," the blue-eyed doe said curtly before turning on her heels, along with her companion as they began walking toward the steps that led to the main entrance of the palace. After taking a moment to register what was happening, Xinshi quickly spread her wings as she lifted herself into the air, gliding a short distance in order to keep up with the two cervines. Upon reaching the gate to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the blue-eyed doe's companion nodded to two other does who stood at the entrance, who in turn opened the large double doors that led into the throne room. However, upon entering the lavish space, Xinshi noticed the throne to be empty, which was quite odd.

"Excuse me," Xinshi inquired of the other doe, who looked down at the avian messenger with her stunning violet eyes, one covered by a long lock of fur, as she and her companion escorted her out of the main hall and down a side corridor, "but why are you leading me this way? Wouldn't the Empress accept my message in the throne room?" With a small smile, the doe responded.

"Normally yes," she answered in a light and sweet voice, which caught Xinshi off guard, but allowed her to surmise the doe was still at the very least a teenager, "but it is almost noon, and the Empress should be in the middle of her Kung Fu lesson." This really confused Xinshi.

"I didn't know Her Majesty knew Kung Fu," responded with a small smile of her own. However, that smile quickly vanished as the other guard interrupted the conversation.

"There is a lot you do not know about Her Majesty," she said rather coarsely, "and it will remain that way." The last bit was said with emphasis, particularly toward her companion, who nervously cast her eyes down to the floor.

"Sorry, Haoxin," the young doe said meekly, which upset Xinshi a little. Looking to her companion, Haoxin let out a groan as she pat the young doe on the back.

"Just remember Fa Jun, there is a time to speak, and a time not to. You still have much to learn." Smiling at the young doe who smiled in return, Xinshi relaxed as she took in the now pleasant aura. But the feeling soon vanished as they approached another set of double doors, once again guarded by two does. On the other side, Xinshi could hear grunts and groans, presumably from the Empress and her opponent.

Nodding to the guards, who quickly opened the doors, Haoxin and Fa Jun escorted Xinshi into the rather spacious training area, at the center of which was Empress Xiao, clad in a light green training qipao with red trim and black training pants, combating another doe, who was clad in dark grey training pants and chest wrappings that left her arms, shoulders, and midriff exposed. The doe, as Xinshi noticed, had only one long tusk, with what appeared to be a small piece of jade where the other should be. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts as Haoxin announced their presence.

"Your Highness, Jade Tusk" she said, bowing respectfully as Xiao turned to them, her body relaxing along with Jade's, their chests heaving from the exertion of their duel.

"Yes, Haoxin," Xiao responded in-between breaths, "what...is it." Looking down at Xinshi, Haoxin motioned for her to step forward, which she did, but with a noticeable spring in her step, which seemed to confuse Haoxin. Stopping just a few feet from Xiao, Xinshi presented herself.

"Your Highness," she said with an exaggerated bow, leading to Haoxin facepalming herself and Jade Tusk rolling her eyes.

_Great_, Jade thought to herself, _another Po_. However, Jade ceased her thought when Xiao responded to Xinshi in an overly courteous manner.

"Lieutenant Xinshi," Xiao said, a stoic expression on her face. The expression however quickly changed as a huge smile spread across Xiao's face, a smile that was gladly returned by Xinshi. "O-M-G, How's it going, GIRLFRIEND?!" Xiao greeted, getting down on her knees so that she could envelope Xinshi in a tight embrace. Pulling away from the embrace, Xinshi responded in a very lackadaisical fashion.

"Oh, Xiao, sweetie, you have no idea the things I have seen..."

"Excuse me, Empress," Jade interrupted, greatly confused by what had just transpired, "you know this hawk?" Looking back to Jade, Xiao eagerly nodded.

"Xinshi is one of my oldest friends," she responded brightly, turning back to said hawk as she continued to speak. "She was my father's personal messenger before she was assigned to the Blue Banners." Upon hearing of the late Emperor Kang Zi, Xinshi took on a somber repression, taking Xiao's hands into her wings.

"Speaking of the Emperor," she began, looking sadly into Xiao's eyes, "I am so sorry to about your father, Xiao. He was a good man, with a dutiful daughter." Upon hearing this, Xiao smiled warmly at her avian friend before a sudden thought entered her mind.

"OH, and speaking of the Blue Banners..." Xinshi quickly caught on to what Xiao was about to say.

"OH, RIGHT!" she exclaimed, quickly reaching for the scroll she had strapped to her back. After presenting it to her friend, Xinshi smiled broadly as Xiao opened the scroll, the smile growing as one began to form on the young lynx's face.

"General Hanfang and the Eighth Royal Regiment are on their way," she said brightly, her voice raising in pitch with excitement as she rose to her feet. "Haoxin," Xiao said, which caused said doe to snap to attention, "tell the others to send out word to the people! We are going to have a great citywide celebration when General Hanfang and his men arrive!" With a broad smile of her own, Haoxin quickly left the room, leaving Fa Jun behind. "Jun!"

"Yes Empress!" Jun responded rather stiffly, which went unnoticed by Xiao.

"Take this to Huifang," Xiao ordered excitedly, handing the startled doe Xinshi's message, "she is going to flip when she reads it!"

"At once, Your Highness!" And with that, Jun left the training hall, the great double doors closing as soon as she was out of sight, leaving Xiao, Xinshi, and Jade alone in the large space, the latter of the three walking to the edge of the main training area to pick up her discarded dark grey qipao, placing the red trimmed garment on before binding it around the waste with a matching read sash. While she did so, Xinshi and Xiao resumed their conversation.

"How IS Sweet Hui, Xiao?" Xinshi inquired, not noticing Jade perk her ears at the little nickname the sparrowhawk had for Huifang.

"She is doing very well, Xin," Xiao responded brightly, "in fact, she is actually my new personal advisor." Xinshi eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Really?" She said, slightly shocked, "I never took Huifang to be 'advisor material.'" Hearing Xinshi say this, Jade decided to interject.

"Huifang is actually more of a confidant than advisor," she said with a small laugh, earning her a playful chastising from Xiao.

"Now Jade," she warned playfully, "you know Huifang does give pretty good advise. Though I will admit, having her as an advisor actually does feel like having...a...sister." Xiao's voice trailed off, ending in a whisper as she said the last word of her sentence, a vacant stare present in her eyes. Looking at each other with a knowing expression, Jade and Xinshi decided to give Xiao some space.

"We will give you a moment, Xiao," Jade said, walking toward the entrance of the training hall, "just come out when you are ready." Once she was alone, Xiao dropped to her knees and bowed her head, a single tear falling from her eye as bitter memories began to resurface.

"I hope we can really be sisters again someday," Xiao whispered, genuine hope laced in her voice as she said one name, "Shi Long."

* * *

In another chamber within the Palace, one heavily guarded by several guards, sat the form of a lanky komodo dragon on the edge of her sizeable bed. The chamber itself was actually rather decorated. The furnishings, such as the bed frame, chairs, tables and cabinets were made of the finest wood in China. And the bed sheets were woven from the finest silk in the province. But, such lavish quarters were a great contrast from the circumstances in which it's reptile inhabitant was residing.

In the time since her plan to usurp the throne failed, Shi Long was kept under constant guard. But, the only kind of real social interaction she had was when her meals were brought to her, and by a very specific person each time. Also, as part of her punishment, she was confined to her quarters day-in and day-out, only being given time outside for one hour in the afternoon. Not that she minded being inside, as she preferred being in a shaded area. In fact, her quarters were specially renovated so that it was constantly shaded, with only a few streams of natural light leaking in from the edges of the windows.

But being alone and in the dark brought up very bitter memories for the violet-eyed lizard, as it was in these circumstances that she was deceived by a being she thought was her friend. A being that fooled her into thinking she could become Empress. And to do so, all she had to do was kill the man who had treated and loved her like a daughter, and had been able to reconcile with before his death, and betray then girl who had seen her as a sister. However, Shi Long's thoughts of doubt and regret were interrupted by the voice of very bothersome wolf.

"So Shi Long, have you thought about my offer." With a combination of a hiss and a snarl, Shi Long turned to meet the glowing orange eyes of the brown furred wolf who had been hounding her for the past month, laying down on HER bed.

"Go away, Mu Lang!" Shi long hissed, her eyes and pupils both narrowing into slits as she jumped to her feet, "I have already told you, my business with HER has ended." Shi Long's temper boiled even hotter when she heard the she-wolf begin to laugh as she rolled onto her side.

"You poor girl," she teased, shaking her head while doing so, "once you have made a deal with the White Bone Demon, there is no escaping her." Taking on a more serious look, Mu Lang added in an ominous tone, "your soul is hers." With wide eyes, Shi Long began to panic, her breath quickening as she realized the severity of her situation.

"No," she tried to deny, "you're lying! She can't do anything to me! She is powerless!" Mu Lang cruelly chuckled upon hearing this.

"There is a way in which she can regain her powers," she mocked, "and when she does, you are hers once again." Her fear now uncontrollable, Shi Long screamed in rage as she lunged at the obviously deranged she-wolf, who managed to dodge the attack with relative ease before disappearing in a cloud of smoke from a smoke pellet. Looking around frantically for the crazed canine, Shi Long whimpered as Mu Lang's evil cackle echoed off the walls of the chamber. Her peak reached, Shi Long fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself in a tight embrace as she sobbed.

* * *

**With the Eighth Royal Regiment~Two Days Later**

* * *

Night had fallen on the Regiment. But, lucky for them, Hu had managed to lead them in the direction of a nearby village he knew of, so the regiment would not need to set up camp. As it turns out, it was his home town, the population being made up of mainly water deer, with a few pigs and rabbits in the mix. By the time the regiment had arrived they were exhausted, but luckily Hu had gone ahead to inform the villagers of their arrival, so several inns and homes were opened to the soldiers who were heavily laden with fatigue.

In a modest two story house that was owned by Hu's family, Han was just getting ready to settle down in a spare bed that had been graciously prepared for him, a single oil lamp offering a decent amount of light, when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he called softly. As the door opened, Han took in the sight of a blue-eyed buck, his beige fur concealed under a teal hanfu with river patterns and black trousers. Smiling warmly at the buck, Han continued to prepare for bed as the Buck started to speak.

"Is your room to your liking, General?" the buck asked in a gentle tenor voice, which resulted in a broader smile from Han as he turned to the buck.

"Perfect," Han said warmly, extending his hand to the buck, who gladly took it, "thank you again for taking us in for the night, Master Chan." With a small laugh, said buck responded.

"Please, call me Ni, General," Ni said brightly, "and besides, what kind of brother would I be if I turned Hu and his comrades away." With that, Han and Ni shared a good laugh before something crossed the former's mind.

"How is Chang settling in?" Han asked, genuinely curious about how his captain was fairing.

"Quite well," Ni responded, his smile never wavering, "he is actually down stairs playing with my little ones. He seems to be quite good with children." Upon hearing this, Han took on a somber expression.

"Well, there are times in war where you have to," Han said solemnly. Catching on to Han's meaning, Ni nodded in understanding.

"Of course. Goodnight General."

"Goodnight Ni." And with that, Ni left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Han alone in the room. But not for long. Before Han could even turn around, a familiar scent hit his nostrils. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, a sly smile crept on his lips as he recognized the strong cinnamon scent. "You're wearing the perfume I got you," he said teasingly. He was immediately answered by a female voice.

"I thought you might like it." With a role of his eyes, Han responded as he turned to face Su.

"And I thought we were going to meet at Li's." Approaching the buck with a seductive gait, Su batted her eyelashes as she offered her reason for being there.

"Couldn't wait," she whispered huskily as she wrapped one of her arms around Han's neck, raking her claws through his unbound mane, while the other reached under his unclasped tunic and began to rub his still surprisingly muscular chest. Han also noticed that Su was beginning to grind her hips against his. Realizing he had to put a stop to her actions, and quickly, Han reached up and pulled her hands from around his neck. With a sad smile, he spoke.

"Not yet." With a dejected expression, Su whimpered in want and need.

"When?" Pressing his forehead to hers, Han gently responded,

"Soon, my love, soon. But until then, we can't risk it, not with the men around." With a sigh, Su nodded in understanding, but her sad expression took on a more playful one, confusing Han.

"Well until THEN, let me give you something to look forward to." Before Han could react, Su pulled him into a deep and passionate kiss. After recovering from the shock, Han melted into the kiss returning it with equal passion. At one point, he even felt Su brushing her tongue against his teeth, begging for entrance, which he gladly granted. But, before he could relish in the feeling, Su pulled away, a sultry smile on her face as she backed away toward the open window from which she had entered. Before leaping out, Su looked back to Han, a disappointed, yet playful look on his face, and gave him a wink.

"Until then," she teased, earning a laugh as Han gave a small shake of his head.

"You are ONE bad kitty," he teased, leading to Su biting her bottom lip as she responded,

"The worst," before jumping out of the window and leaving Han alone in his temporary quarters.


	3. Good and Evil

The bubbling magma made a thunderous sound throughout the caves inside the Hubei Volcano. A sound that bounced off the walls of the desolate stone dwelling. And the sound itself only added to the already foreboding atmosphere, made even more unsettling by the eerie light given off from the molten material. However, if one would travel a little farther into the bowels of the abandoned fortress, they would find series of passageways, carved from the very stone the volcano was made of, leading farther away from the center of the deadly mountain formation.

Moving smoothly through the dark and cold corridors, using a single lantern as her only means of light, Mu Lang finally reached her destination; a set of large double doors, that when opened, led to a large, open space, it's wall lined with several lit torches which brilliantly illuminated the space. Looking around, Mu Lang could see that, hanging from the high walls and tall ceilings of the large room, were several empty cages. Although, as the stray feathers inside indicated, they were not always empty. Now, the sound of squeaking chains as the cages swayed would be enough to fill even the bravest warrior with terror. And near the center of the room was a large, wooden table, littered with rolls of parchment, stained with dried ink that had been spilled over them.

If Mu Lang was being honest with herself, she expected the former Wu Fortress to be a bit more, in her opinion, intimidating. Seeing the vacant chambers of the fortress in such disarray made her scoff at the knowledge that they once housed the most feared criminals in all of Chine. But, then again, she had to remind herself that that was nearly twenty years earlier. The Wu Sisters, to her knowledge, were still rotting in their respective prisons, far from the eyes of the people of China. However, Mu Lang was soon pulled from her thoughts as a familiar voice echoed in the spacious chamber.

"Magnificent , isn't it?" Looking up, Mu Lang could see, dangling upside down from one of the vacant cages, a grey furred bat, clad in black, thorn patterned robes, glancing around the large room with her pale blue eyes. With an audible groan, Mu Lang responded as she followed her master's gaze.

"A bit to musty for my taste." The bat merely chuckled, which confused the she-wolf.

"And yet, it was enough for the most feared assassins of ALL CHINA!" the bat exclaimed, her voice bouncing off of the stone walls, as she spread her previously folded wings wide in excitement. Mu Lang, upon hearing this, simply rolled her eyes in annoyance, which did not go unnoticed by the bat, who glared at her. Upon noticing this, Mu Lang began to shrink back in fear, fiddling with her tail in worry as the flying rodent's eyes seemed to bore into her soul. The White Bone Demon had that affect on everybody, and Mu Lang was no exception.

"Forgive me, master." With a clearly visible look of disdain, the slightly irate bat decided to let her servant's little act of disrespect slide for the moment.

"Shi Long?" she quickly inquired with a firm voice, the tone of which conveying a very clear warning to the she-wolf. Dropping her tail from her hands, Mu Lang resumed an upright posture as she gave her report.

"Shi Long still will not accept your 'offer,'" Mu Lang reported, a sly, knowing smirk spreading on her muzzle, which was shared just as enthusiastically by her master, the latter's disdain for her servant now gone as she let out a cruel chuckle.

"The young fool," she cackled, wrapping herself in her wings once again, "she will soon learn why it is unwise to make deals with demons. And with the Spirit Urn within my grasp, ultimate power will be mine once again." With that, the two females began to cackle as the demonic bat's plan began to come to fruition.

* * *

**Jundui Prison, Haijin Province, 20 Years Earlier**

* * *

Deep within the mountain regions of the Haijin Province, far from the prying eyes of any civilized settlement, sat Jundui Prison, which was built right into the mountain-space. What made this prison different from so many others was the fact that it's personnel were not your standard run-of-the-mill guards. Rather, they were soldiers of His Majesties Imperial Army, specially trained to handle the, shall we say, "unwilling" inhabitants of the complex. Now, these were not your typical bandits and cut-throats, but rather the most dangerous criminals in China. Maybe even the world. And one such criminal was having a particularly bad day.

In a solitary cell, guarded by more than four dozen guards, a young snow leopard was pacing the confined space, her tail twitching in aggravation as she thought of time and time again on how to escape from her new prison in order to free her sisters. If there is one thing that Su Wu knew, is that no prison could contain her. But this particular prison, was proving to be quite a challenge. Not only was she placed right at the center of the complex, but even if she was able to escape her cell, she would have to fight her way past more than nearly five hundred guards. A task that would be virtually impossible without her sisters by her side, and she knew it. Her thoughts, however, were soon interrupted by the sound of keys being turned in the thick steel door that served as the only entrance to her cell. As the door opened, Su was met with a rather peculiar sight as a new, strong tenor voice sounded in the small space.

"Here is your dinn..." Su found herself face to face with with a young water deer, a buck to be more specific, who froze just as soon as he laid his emerald eyes on the feline before him. Su, on the other, seemed to be inspecting the young buck. In her mind, he appeared to be no more than eighteen, his body lithe, but muscular, clad in a blue military tunic and beige trousers, bound at the waist with a red sash. His face appeared very chiseled, and he seemed to keep his blonde mane tied in a neat ponytail. However, one thing Su quickly noticed is that the buck's stunning emerald eyes had not broken their fixation of her, almost as if he were entranced, his bushy eyebrows raised in clear surprise. Getting slightly unnerved, Su, pinching the bridge of her nose, responded to the buck.

"Just put over there," she groaned, which seemed to snap the buck out of his thoughts as he quickly placed the tray of food on a nearby desk. As he did so, Su couldn't help but steal a glance at the young cervid. She did have to admit, he was rather handsome in his own way. And just as soon as that thought entered her head, she pushed it away. But, something about the buck did cross her mind. "Where is Major Xiong?" she inquired, curious about the bear she had grown accustomed to since her arrival two weeks earlier, "he normally brings me my meals." As he turned away from the desk, the buck responded.

"Major Xiong has been transferred. He is now Commandant of Tufei Prison." Su quirked an eyebrow. The buck was quick, she had to give him that, and the way he carried himself distilled confidence and pride. It was actually almost infectious. Shaking those feelings away, Su decided that she would rather be alone at the present time. Looking to the buck, who appeared to resume his silent admiration of the feline, Su decided to make her wishes known.

"If that's all," she began with an unnervingly sweet tone, only for it to sharply change to a violent hiss, "GET OUT!" And in an instant Su received the biggest shock of her life. Rather than bolt from the cell in fright, the buck smiled slyly at her, before turning around as he began to calmly walk away. At this point, Su's curiosity about the buck reached it's peak as she needed to know one thing.

"What is your name?" she inquired with some disdain, causing the buck to peer over his shoulder to respond.

"Name's Lieutenant Hanfang. Call me Han." He teased, earning an agitated growl from the leopard, who decided to find out something else.

"And just how old are you, Lieutenant," she spat out defiantly.

"Twenty-five," he responded just as the cell door shut behind, leaving Su wide eyed.

_He's just two years older than I am_, Su thought to herself. And it was at that moment that Su decided that she would solve the mystery of Hanfang.

* * *

**Hu Chan's Home Village, Present Time**

* * *

Han's eyes opened as he brought himself out of the memory. The sun was barely up. The inhabitant's of the village were still sound asleep as it was still too early to rise. However, that is just how Han liked it this particular morning, as it gave him time to recollect old memories. Standing on a hill that overlooked the village, offering a nice secluded place to think, Han closed his eyes as he breathed in the brisk morning air. And once again, his nostril were filled with the unmistakable scent of cinnamon. With a hint of aggravation, Han sighed as he turned to meet the smug face of his leopard lover, which greatly contracted from his less-than-amused, deadpan expression.

"How many time's do I have to tell you to meet me at Li's like we agreed?" Su merely rolled her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Hans neck, giving his lips a quick peck before answering.

"Until we do," she teased, which succeeded in getting a chuckle out of Han as he pecked his lovers lips in return. But, before things could get too heated like the night before, Han decided to inquire about a topic still very sensitive to Su.

"How's Wan?" A bit taken aback by the question, Su quickly relaxed as she offered a loving smile to her concerned buck.

"She is doing just fine, stop worrying ya big wuss," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. She failed, and Han shoulder's slumped as he recalled the day when Su had snuck into his camp with the information vital to his survival, only to inform him just after that Wan had been injured in the process. Seeing her love's dejected face, Su brought her hand up to cup his cheek as his eyes remained downcast.

"The last thing I wanted was for any of you to get hurt," Han responded sadly, making Su's heart break at seeing him blame himself for what had happened.

"Hey," she whispered, making Han look her the eyes as she spoke, "it is not your fault. It was Wan's choice, our choice. Stop beating yourself up over it." Upon hearing this, Han finally managed to muster a small smile, which Su was thankful to see as she offered one of her own. "There's that smile." Han's attention was soon pulled to the now visible sun, it's rays giving off a warm aura as it basked the serene area with light. At that moment, Han pulled Su close to his body as they drank in the beautiful sight.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he inquired to Su, who hummed in agreement. "One day soon, my love," he continued, "we will be able to enjoy this more often. No spying. No army. No war. Just Us." SU closed her eyes in content as she began to purr, a soft moan mixing in with her purr as Han placed a loving kiss on the top of her head.

* * *

It was now mid-morning. The men filed into position, fully dressed with packs slung over their backs and muskets over their shoulders, bellies full of food and drink. Hu quickly got into position after offering his brother one last hug of gratitude. Before long, the men marched away from the village as the inhabitants waved them off, a few of the does blowing kisses to some of the bucks in the regiment, who shouted back sweet nothings as the others teased them. Han and Chang merely rolled their eyes as they smiled at the tomfoolery. At around midday, Xinshi had rendezvoused with the regiment to get an update on their progress. Upon getting the information needed, she departed again for the Forbidden City. Chang then made an announcement shortly after as they continued marching.

"ALL RIGHT MEN!" he shouted over his shoulder, "AT THIS PACE, WE WILL REACH THE CITY BY LATE AFTERNOON!" Han quickly interjected.

"THEN YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE ALE AND WOMEN TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!" That last bit from Han was met with roaring cheers from the entire regiment as they began to jostle each other around in excitement.

"You certainly know how to inspire the men," Chang laughed, earning a chuckle from Han in return.

"Part of being a General," the older buck responded as the regiment continued on their journey.

* * *

**Shi Long's Quarters, The Imperial Palace, Early Afternoon**

* * *

Shi Long continued to pace her quarters, her nerves on end after her recent encounter with Mu Lang. If Shi Long was being honest with herself, she was scared to death. As Shi Long continued to pace, she failed to notice the doors to her room open, allowing a certain bubbly doe to enter with a tray for afternoon tea.

"Hi, Shi Long," Huifang greeted in her usually boisterous way. The greeting itself actually succeeded in bringing Shi Long out of her worry. Turning to the emerald eyed doe, Shi Long actually allowed a genuine smile to form on her face.

When General Hanfang had first brought Huifang to the Imperial Palace following her father's death, Shi Long was a bit adamant to have her around, as her boisterous personality was liable to be a nuisance to her and the other advisors. But, as time passed Shi Long began to warm up to the young doe, who actually began to see the reptile as a sister, and vice versa. In truth, Huifang was more of sister to Shi Long than the latter felt about Xiao. While Xiao, who the komodo dragon felt swiped the title of future Empress from under her, would insult Shi Long, though unintentionally, Huifang always offered words of kindness, and never once did she do anything that caused bad blood between them.

In a way, Huifang was a tether that kept Shi Long close to the light. But, when Huifang left for the Plum Blossom Temple, Shi Long began a full downward spiral into darkness. Without an anchor to keep her in place, Shi Long surrendered herself completely to the pull of the White Bone Demon. But when the latter betrayed her, one thought came to Shi Long's mind; the realization that she would never see Huifang again. Shaking the bitter memories from her mind, Shi Long greeted one of the only true friends she had.

"Good Afternoon, Huifang," she greeted in an uncharacteristically cheerful voice as she walked toward the boisterous doe, taking in the doe's admittedly alluring figure, accentuated by the green hanfu and beige pants she wore. "What have you prepared today?" she inquired as she watched Huifang poor the tea, her gaze sneaking glances at Huifang's, dare she say, beautiful features. Huifang, however, did notice, and blushed as she responded.

"Rose Water Oolang," she said as she handed a cup to Shi Long.

"OH!" she exclaimed in glee, "my favorite!" Huifang smiled at her companions reaction as she poured herself a cup. As soon as both women had their cups, they took a sip of the strong, yet sweet liquid. Closing their eyes, the duo hummed as the warm tea slid down their throats. "You know just how I like it, Hui," Shi Long said as she gazed at the doe beside her, who blushed in return. "By the way," Shi long continued, "when will your uncle be arriving." Suddenly feeling rather sheepish, Huifang answered.

"Later this afternoon," she said, excitement seeping into her voice as she placed her cup back on the tray, "it'll be so good to see him again. I know he is going to be so proud of me when he sees what a great job I'm doing as Royal Advisooorrrr." Huifang dragged the last two words out as she glanced nervously at Shi Long, expecting her to think that the doe was rubbing her position in the FORMER royal advisors face. Shi Long, surprisingly, was very calm and collected as she placed her cup next to Huifang's

"It's alright Huifang, you can say it," she said reassuringly, taking both of the doe's hands in hers, "besides, your uncle has always been proud of you. I know he has. Just add this to the list of accomplishments." Huifang smiled brightly at the reptile who returned the smile. However, a new feeling over came both of them as they stared into each other's eyes. Soon, the two were leaning in and, before they knew it, their lips met in a tender kiss. While Shi Long noticed that Huifang's lips were soft and warm to the touch, she was concerned that her companion was less enamored with her cold, scaly ones. But, after sneaking glance at the content expression on the doe's face, Shi Long surmised that she wasn't too bothered. While the kiss seemed to last minutes for the two, it was , in reality, only about five seconds. Pulling away from each other, the duo's eyes suddenly snapped open at the realization of what they had just done.

"You should probably go prepare for your uncle's arrival," Shi long quickly blurted out as she turned away from the equally shocked doe.

"Yeah, sure," Huifang responded just as quickly as she started for the door. However, before she got two steps in, she was stopped.

"Hey." Turning to Shi Long, Huifang was met with a shock as Shi Long once again planted her lips on her own. Recovering from the shock, Huifang relaxed, smiling into the kiss that lasted a little longer. Pulling away, Shi Long smiled lovingly at the doe before her. "It's our little secret." Returning the loving smile, Huifang nodded as she turned towards the door, leaving her scaly companion alone in her quarters.

* * *

The sun had just past it's peak, and now began it's slow descent as the afternoon began to wane. But the people of the city were still bustling about, making hasty preparations to welcome the soldiers that had so valiantly defended their country from the Dzungar Invaders. Lanterns were strung over the streets, as well as many flags bearing the crest of the Imperial Family, as well as the crest of the Blue Banners, a name that one could not walk two steps without hearing. the same could very easily be said at the Imperial Palace. In the main hall of the palace, Empress Xiao over saw her servants, as well as her water deer security force, make all the proper preparations for the arrival of General Hanfang and his men.

Looking to her right, Xiao could make out the form of Fa Jun, or Jun as she just called her, smiling as the teenage doe assisted Haoxin with preparing the others for the soldiers arrival. Walking to the two does, who were walking past and inspecting the others who all stood at attention, Xiao, now clad in her traditional green gown, cleared her throat upon reaching them. Looking to the royal lynx, both does bowed respectfully to her, along with the others.

"Your Highness," Haoxin said reverently, which only made Xiao smile. Stepping forward, said lynx placed a hand on Haoxin's shoulder, causing said doe to raise her head, her eyes wide in surprise by Her Majesties gesture.

"Xin, I told you, anything other than Xiao is just too formal" Xiao said with a giggle, shocking the doe even further. Haoxin knew that Xiao was not like the other rulers of China that had come before her, but it still surprised her as to how humble and kind she was, even to the point where one would assume that the young lynx had completely forgotten she was royalty, as indicated by her preference just to be called by her own name. Recovering from the shock, Haoxin, with a smile, stood upright along with jun and the other water does.

"Of course, Your, Highn-," Haoxin started, but quickly corrected herself, "Xiao." Xiao smiled brightly at this. But then, she noticed that there was one person unaccounted for.

"Do you know where Jade is? I haven't seen her since this morning." Xiao inquired, so overcome with concern that she didn't notice the others does share knowing smirks with each other. Haoxin, sporting a smirk of her own, offered an answer.

"She is in her quarters," she began, her smirk turning into a devious smile, "she is getting ready for a certain captain's arrival." Upon hearing this, Xiao immediately knew who Haoxin was referring to, a devilish grin appearing on her face as well as Jun, who tried her best to hold back a giggle. It was no secret within the ranks of the former Poison Clan that Jade had caught the eye of Captain Chang Li, and vise-versa. Even Xiao noticed that whenever casualty reports came in from the Eighth Regiment, Jade would immediately begin reading through them, breathing an obvious sigh of relief when she didn't find the name she was looking for. Pulling herself from her thoughts, Xiao decided to check on her master and personal bodyguard's status.

"As you were, ladies," she said playfully, turning on her heels as she began to walk toward the section of the palace that was reserved for her guards, leaving said "ladies" behind, all soon becoming enveloped in suppressed laughter. Heck, even Xiao began giggling excitedly at Jade's current "predicament." Upon reaching the door to the one tusked doe's quarters, Xiao was just about to knock when she heard mumbling coming from the other side. Curiosity getting the better of her, Xiao pressed her ear to the door to listen to the conversation that Jade was apparently having with herself, her voice surprisingly higher in pitch as she frantically was rustling through what sounded to be clothing.

"...Maybe...? NO NO, he wears blue, and he must be so sick of seeing it. Well then, how about...? NO, absolutely not! With all the blood he's likely seen he would be uncomfortable seeing ME in red." Having heard quite enough, Xiao, with a roll of her eyes and a smile on her face, pulled her ear away from the door, only to gently knock upon it.

"Yes?" Came a very gruff, and somewhat irritated voice, one that greatly differed from the nervous, high pitched voice the lynx had just heard. Suppressing a giggle, Xiao responded.

"It's me, Jade," she said, trying hard to keep the amusement out of her voice, "may I come in?" After a brief moment of silence, Xiao relaxed upon hearing Jade's response.

"Come in, Xiao." Upon entering the rather spacious quarters, Xiao could see that the walls and furnishings were just like everywhere else in the palace, as well as the oak wood dressers, closets and bed frame. But one thing that really stood out was what lay on the floor; a plethora of vests and gowns, each of various colors, were strewn about. The multitude of garments seemed to originate from a wardrobe cabinet, which opened up to reveal a full length mirror. But, Xiao's attention was soon brought to the doe that stood in the middle of the room, several other garments around her feet. Looking into the does face, Xiao was surprised to see that the usually passive Jade's expression seemed to possess a nervous smile, which was rather uncharacteristic of her.

"Hello, Jade," Xiao began, a teasing smile on her lips as she approached her master and friend, who at this point was clad in black training pants, with her only top being the chest wrappings she wore during training. Said doe, the nervous smile never leaving her face, quickly responded.

"Hello, Empress, what can I do for you?" Xiao couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn that she heard Jade's voice crack a little as she spoke, which only made her smile grow wider.

"I was just wondering what you were up to?" Xiao asked in a sing-song voice, which succeeded in making the doe before her more nervous.

"I was just sorting through my clothing to find something to wear for the General's arrival," Jade responded rather quickly, which caused Xiao to quirk a playful eyebrow as she offered a simple rebuttal.

"The...General?" At this point, Jade's smile had fallen as she began sweat, her eyes darting back and forth in anxiety. But, just as Xiao was a bout to speak again, a new voice filled the room.

"She's talking about Chang, Jade!" Huifang hollered into the room in the same sing-song voice that Xiao had used just moments ago, all while walking by with a tray of tea.

"SILENCE, HUIFANG!" Jade shouted after the boisterous doe before she was just out of earshot, her tough demeanor back in an instant, greatly intensified as Huifang briefly stuck her head into the room and, opting not to use use her usually pantomime of zipping her mouth shut, playfully stuck her tongue out before returning to her business. A flustered Jade quickly turned her attention back to Xiao, her smug grin never once having left her face. Slowly, Jade's face softened, her eyes closing as she let out a long sigh. Soon, Xiao took in the sight of a dejected doe, her head hung low as her shoulders were slumped down. Upon seeing this, Xiao's smug grin quickly melted into a smile of compassion. Cupping Jade's cheeks with both of her hands, Xiao brought the doe's face up. Opening her eyes, Jade could see those of a kind, caring, and compassionate girl. In the end, Jade couldn't help but offer a sad smile in return, sorrow that did not go unnoticed by Xiao.

"Oh, sweetie," the lynx cooed, "you really like him, don't you?" With a frustrated sigh, Jade removed herself from Xiao's embrace, crossing to her bed, promptly plopping her butt on it, letting out another exasperated sigh.

"I don't know what is wrong with me Xiao," she began to vent, "I meet the guy once, and now it's like I can't get him out of my head. Every time I hear his name, my heart races. Every time I think about his eyes, my knees get weak." Jade's voice soon drifted, as a dumb, love struck smile came to her face. "And every time I remember that deep...rich, voice..." Jade couldn't help but shutter at the last thought, which seemed to greatly amuse Xiao.

"Honey, " she began teasingly, "I have got three words for you; YOU-GOT-IT-BAD **(Chinese translation: Nǐ bù hǎo)**!" Looking back to Xiao, Jade couldn't help but scoff at the lynx's remark.

"Xiao," she began, agitation returning to her voice as she spoke, "I am the leader of the most skilled guards in all of China. I have trained under one of the greatest Kung Fu masters of all time. I do not have time for something as trivial as romance!" Xiao simply rolled her eyes. But, deciding that Jade needed to admit her feelings to herself first, chose to let the topic slide.

"All right, Jade," she relented, turning on her heels to leave the room. But quickly stopped when she remembered something about the coming celebration. "Oh, just to let you know, I have invited Master Po and his students, Master's Croc and Ox of the Master's Council, and Master Shifu and the Furious Five. They should all be hear by mid-morning tomorrow." Upon hearing this, Jade's face took on a look of surprise. And, for a change of pace, decided to do a bit of teasing of her own. Getting up from her bed, Jade walked toward Xiao, who quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.

"With so many Kung Fu masters around," she began, "you probably won't need me or the girls." Despite the playful atmosphere, Xiao allowed a warm smile to cross her face before gently enveloping a shocked Jade Tusk into a tight hug.

"I will always need you," she whispered, sighing in content as Jade finally returned the gesture.

"I love you, Jade," Xiao whispered, the statement causing Jade to suddenly stiffen, only to relax a moment later as a single tear escaped from her eye.

"I love you too, Xiao," Jade responded with a smile. After a few moments, the two pulled apart, with Xiao resuming her exit from the chambers, but not before offering some advise to her master.

"Oh, and I'm sure Chang would think the jade colored hanfu would look gorgeous on you," she teased before rushing out of the room laughing just as Jade playfully chucked one of her discarded vests at her. But, the merriment quickly vanished as soon as it appeared, leaving Jade alone once again. Looking to the aforementioned hanfu, Jade gently picked it up, running her thumbs over the smooth silk that made up the finely crafted garment, dropping to her knees as another sigh escaped her lips.

* * *

"TO THE EIGHTH REGIMENT!" The reception was most definitely a loud one. As soon as Han and Chang set foot through the gates of the Forbidden City, they were met with uproarious cheers and applause. Almost immediately, citizens were handing the men of the Eighth Royal Regiment fresh food, mainly bread and sweets, as well as fresh water, and of course, bottles of wine and rice vodka. And, pretty much true to Hans word, many women, ranging from rabbits, to wolves, even some water does began to shower many of the men with deep admiration and affection by calling flirtatiously to them, our simply blowing kisses, which the men did not mind in the slightest, some whistling to the girls in the crowd, causing some to swoon. Chang, upon witnessing this, rolled his eyes, but he could not help the smile that came to his face.

"They're in uniform, for God's sake," he huffed in amusement, shaking his head as the men behind him continued to call to the woman beckoning them over. Han, on the other hand, simply laughed.

"Oh, let 'em have their fun, Chang," he playfully scolded, "It goes a long way to relieve the burden of war." Looking ahead of them, the duo could see that the young, flag bearing water buck was receiving his own fair share of attention from a few water does and she-wolves.

"Hey there, cutie," a doe called, batting her eyelashes, making said buck blush brightly, a nervous smile on his face.

"Oh, the way you carry that flag," a she-wolf joined in, "you must be so strong." That comment actually succeeded in eliciting a nervous chuckle from the young buck.

"Oh, I like shy ones," another doe cooed. Finally deciding to relieve the buck of any further embarrassment, Chang spoke.

"Alright ladies," he jokingly called, catching their attention, "enough of that." But all that succeeded in doing was bringing the attention of the female's to him, their eyes going wide upon seeing the strapping young buck marching through the streets, before their eyes took on a look far more dangerous than mere affection; lust. One doe even nuzzled into him.

"Well, then," she began seductively, "what about you handsome?" Han couldn't help but burst out laughing at the look of shear shock on Chang's face. In fact, his Captain looked like he was about ready to die of embarrassment himself, even more so when the bold doe whispered and obviously lewd request in his ear. Deciding to relive both the private and captain of this seductive onslaught, Han cleared his throat.

"Perhaps another time, ladies," he addressed, "we have business to conduct with the Empress." Upon hearing this, the group of females began pouting as the group of males walked away. But, before they could get too far, a doe and she-wolf planted a firm kiss on both of the private's cheeks, causing him to blush madly, earning a barrage of cheers and applause from the soldiers close enough to see. Taken aback by the action, the private quickly turned his head to see his admirers blowing him goodbye kisses. Soon, a love struck smile spread across his face as he continued to stare back at the group of females, only to have his attention returned to were he was marching, courtesy of Chang's hand playfully slapping him upside the head.

"Eyes front, private," he mock-scolded.

"Yes, Captain!" said private responded curtly. Han just chuckled.

"Your time will come private," he added with a laugh, "your time will come come." Looking back to Han with a shocked expression, the private smiled as his commanding officer offered a smile and a wink.

"Yes, General!" he responded before turning his attention back to the path ahead. Looking to each other, Han and Chang shared warm, friendly smiles as the Regiment continued their trek to the Imperial Palace. But, during the march, Han's eyes traveled to a nearby tavern, a sign hanging over the door that read "Li's Tavern & Inn." Looking at the doorway, Han could make out the form of a auburn furred buck, who sent a discreet nod in Han's direction, which was gladly returned with a subtle smile.

* * *

In just twenty minutes, Xiao was greeted with the sight of hundreds of soldiers standing in the main courtyard of the Imperial Palace, a vast majority of them water deer with some wolves and snow leopard in the mix. Standing at the forefront of the formation were two of her dearest and closest friends. Glancing to her right, Xiao could make out the form of her most trusted friend and advisor, who, to be honest, was having a hard time staying still as she smiled giddily at her uncle. Looking to her left, Xiao smiled at her master, clad in the jade hanfu she had suggested, which went well with a pair of grey pants, bound at the ankle with white puttees. But, what Xiao noticed, is that Jade never once took her eyes of Chang Li, and as the lynx observed, vice-versa. After a few minutes of getting settled, Xiao finally stepped forward. All eyes were now on her.

"You men have fought gallantly for your country. Your actions have ensured that our Empire and Civilization will live on for generations. My father had entrusted the safety of this nation unto you. And seeing you here now, and hearing the voice of the people as they celebrate this victory, know that never for moment, did I not believe that his faith was misplaced. For that I say, it is a privilege and an honor to be in your presence. I know I speak for us all when I say, my father thanks you, my mother thanks..." Xiao paused briefly, contemplating whether or not she should say what she wanted to say, until finally she made her decision. "My SISTER thanks you, and I thank you." The courtyard was silent for a moment. Until a voice rang out. A voice that sent chills down Jade's spine.

"REGIMENT!" Chang bellowed, causing every soldier present to stand at attention, "WILL REMOVE HEADDRESS! REMOVE..." each soldier reached for the tips of their peak caps, "...HEADDRESS!" Removing their caps from their heads, the soldiers placed them on their left shoulders. This time, Han spoke up.

"THREE CHEERS FOR HER MAJESTY, THE EMPRESS! HIP HIP!"

"HOORAY!" each soldier shouted, raising and lowering their caps on their shoulders.

"HIP HIP!"

"HOORAY!"

"HIP HIP!"

"HOORAY!" After a moment of silence, Chang's voice rang through the courtyard again.

"REGIMENT WILL REPLACE HEADDRESS! REPLACE," he called, each soldier lifting their caps so they were inches from the tops of their heads, "HEADDRESS!" With that final word, the caps came to rest on the soldiers' heads. Looking to Xiao, who nodded her head, Chang turned on his heels to address the men.

"REGIMENT, DISMISSED!" And so, as the men began to disperse out of the courtyard and into the city, Han and Chang began to make their way to the stairs that would lead them up to their friends and loved ones. But, just as Han had reached the top of the stairs, he was nearly sent tumbling down them as Huifang latched onto him in a tight hug. But, Han could only laugh as he gladly returned the embrace.

"It is good to see you too, Sweet Hui," Han said as he held his niece close to him.

"I missed you so much, Uncle Han," Huifang practically wept, tears of joy streaming down her face, which warmed the hearts of everyone present. Soon, everyone, save Han, Chang, Xiao, Huifang, and Jade had left the space, having been dismissed by Xiao to also partake in the city wide festivities, leaving the group of five alone with each other. Pulling away from the embrace, Han took Huifang's hands into his own.

"Oh, Huifang," he began, "I have so much to tell you, but right now, their is something very important I need to see to in the city. But tomorrow, you have me all to yourself." Huifang smiled again, having briefly developed a frown at her Uncle's announcement that he was spending the evening in the city. Turning to Xiao, Han bowed respectfully, only to be briefly enveloped in a tight embrace from the lynx herself, before leaving Chang alone with the three females. A devious smirk forming on her lips, Xiao turned to Huifang.

"Huifang," she began, feigning fatigue by placing the back of her hand to her forehead, "I feel faint, would you please escort me to my chambers?" Huifang, catching on to what Xiao was doing, replied in an over dramatic fashion.

"Of course, Your Highness." Before all was aid and done, Chang and Jade were the only ones left on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. After a minute of awkward silence, accompanied by uncomfortable glances at anything but each other, Chang, finally mustering enough courage, spoke.

"It IS good to see you again, Jade," he said, a hint of longing in his voice, which did not go unnoticed by Jade, who offered a warm smile to the handsome buck, who was enraptured by her stunning amber eyes.

"And it is good to see you, Chang," she responded, staring into his deep blue eyes. After another moment of silence, Chang, after clearing his throat, moved alongside Jade, offering his arm to her, which was gladly accepted as the two began to walk down the steps into the courtyard toward the city.


	4. Celebration and Abduction

**Haijin Prison, 20 Years Earlier, Three Weeks after Su Wu's First Encounter with Hanfang**

* * *

"Good Morning, Su," Han greeted as he entered the snow leopard's cell, said snow leopard stretching as she rose from her bed, a few bones popping from having laid on such a hard, uncomfortable surface. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Su turned her head to see Han carrying a trey of tea, the strong cinnamon scent wafting it's way into Su's nostrils, closing her eyes while sighing in content.

"Good morning, Han," she greeted back, a playful tone to her voice as she smiled at the buck she had begun to open up to. Over the past few weeks, the newly promoted Major Hanfang had brought Su her meals. In that time, he would engage in small talk, anything to get the snow leopard assassin to open up and talk to him. Despite being aggravated by his attempts at first, often opting to simply ignore him as he did so, Su could not help but feel that there was something familiar about the buck trying to register with her on a personal level. And it was because of that, after the first few days, Su decided she could use his attempts to HER advantage in order to get information on him. In that time, the two actually learned a lot about each other.

Han learned that Su and her sisters did not initially start out as criminal masterminds. But rather, they were stage performers, dancers, whose sensual and lustful moves could seduce even the most stubborn and cold-hearted of men. And it was because of that they learned they could use their skills to their advantage, often robbing men blind without them realizing it. Soon, petty thievery turned to more, shall we say, "sinister" aspirations. And it was during these endeavors that the Wu Sisters developed their most well known and devastating move; The Wu Vortex. From that point forward, the Wu Sisters became a force to be reckoned with. That only the most brave, or to those with common sense, the most foolish would try to take them on.

Han, on the other hand, was significantly different. While he also came from humble origins, his aspirations were more noble. As Su found out, Han came from a long line of soldiers, one generation or another fighting in each major conflict that China was ever involved in. Han, with a sense of familial duty and patriotic pride, decided to keep this line going. But, there was a deeper, more prominent reason for his choice. The army paid well, and with the death of his father when he was seventeen, and his mother having no job of her own, Han enlisted in the army so as to support his family.

By the time he turned twenty, his mother had passed away, and by the time he was twenty-two his younger brother and sister-in-law were struggling financially. And the fact that they were expecting their first child soon did not help. So Han began to display great commitment to the army, quickly rising through the ranks. And it was only when he was injured in a great battle, one which he did not specify to Su, was he transferred to Haijin. Now, he was a well paid major, who helped support his Brother's family, including his three-year-old niece whom he greatly adored. And it was because of this, Su now looked on the buck before her with great fondness, her cold, hard heart finally starting to soften.

"I made your favorite," Han said as he poured a cup of tea for Su. Once the cup was full, Han carefully handed it over to Su, who, after blowing on the hot liquid, brought the cup to her lips, taking a long slow drag of the cinnamon spiced tea.

"Purrrfect," Su literally purred out, causing Han to chuckle as he poured himself a cup, grabbing a nearby chair which he used to sit across from Su. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence, simply opting to enjoy each other's company. But as the silence dragged on, Su still could not help the feeling that she knew Han from somewhere. JUST where, she did not know. Finally, she couldn't resist asking any longer.

"Han," she began tentatively, causing said buck to hum in acknowledgement as he pulled his cup away from his lips, "your injury, where exactly did you receive it?" It was at that point that Han, after a moment of contemplative thought, sighed as he placed his cup on the floor beside. Clasping his hands in his lap, Han began to speak in a low, collected voice.

"It was five years ago," he began, "Emperor Kang Zi had received an urgent message from one of our allies, saying that they were under siege by an enemy they had never encountered before. He wasted no time in sending my regiment to assist our friends. When we arrived, they were at the breaking point. The vast majority of their army had been decimated, the majority of the territory in shambles..." Han paused briefly as he held back a sob, his eyes know brimming with tears. Su's memory began to catch up with her, as she know began to understand why Han looked so familiar. After taking a moment to compose himself, Han continued.

"Before we could even begin to comprehend what was happening, we where ambushed in a whirlwind of unspeakable power. I guess I was lucky. I was thrown against a rock. Blacked out instantly." It was at that point Han's face seemed to twist in pain and agony at remembering what happened next. "When I came to... my regiment, my team, my family...was gone. And all around, not a single living soul, except for myself. And then I saw...them. THREE figures walking calmly through fire and smoke, killing off any survivors they found. One saw me, and began to walk toward me. I was so disoriented from the blow to my head, I couldn't think or see straight. The last thing I remember before losing consciousness again, was the figure looking down at me. And in their hand, a measly pair of chopsticks."

"You mean..." Su gasped out in shock. Opening his eyes and looking straight into Su's, Han nodded, tears now falling down his cheeks.

"Yes," he rasped out in a pained whisper, "I was there when the Jackal Nation fell." As he stared into the heterochromic eyes of the snow leopard before him, Han seemed to be trying to gauge a reaction out her. To his surprise, he could actually see tears threatening to fall. Finally, he asked a question that had been whirling in his mind for so long.

"Why didn't you kill me when you found me that day? It would have been easier for you if you had." Lowering her head in shame, Su's eyes clenched shut as the tears finally began to fall. After a minute of silence, she finally answered, although rather softly.

"I couldn't." Han didn't know why, but that answer just seemed to irritate him. Jolting up from his chair, the force of which knocking it over, Han responded with frustration in his voice.

"That's not an answer." Just the way he said made Su's own fur bristle in agitation. Standing abruptly herself, Su positioned herself so that she was nearly nose to nose with the buck in front of her.

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?!" she shouted through clenched teeth. Han's face seemed to relax a bit as he responded.

"Because I want to remember what you say! Right here, right now!" It was at that point Su found she couldn't control her temper any further.

"Oh, for the love of...!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she began to pace the cell. Turning back to Han, Su began ranting about what she though Han wanted to hear. "I was a coward, I was weak, I wouldn't kill you!" Han's ears perked at the last part of her statement, pointing to her as he spoke.

"You said wouldn't that time." Su rolled her eyes, her frustration peaking.

"Whatever!" she exclaimed again, turning away so her back was to Han, "I wouldn't! All that time building a reputation for myself and my sisters, and I am the only Wu Sister who wouldn't kill an Imperial Soldier!" Han's face fully softened upon hearing this. With a smile, Han placed both his hands on Su's shoulders, gently turning her around so she could look him the eyes.

"First to befriend one, though," he responded, a caring smile on his face. "So?" With a sigh, Su finally decided it was time to tell the truth.

"I wouldn't kill you because you looked as scared as I was," Su admitted, her gaze never leaving Han's, "I looked into your eyes and saw myself, a sacred kid who had never done what they did before. And there was a voice in me that just screamed to stop the bloodshed, but I didn't know how." With that, Su turned her gaze to the side, clear shame present in her sorrowful expression. Soon, a hand brought her chin up, so that her eyes once more met those of buck who held nothing but compassion for her, in the place of contempt.

"I can show you how," he whispered softly. Su's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape as a new feeling spread through her body. Inching closer to Han, Su wrapped her arms around his neck as he encircled her waste with his own strong, muscular arms.

"Show me," she rasped out as her eyes began to flutter closed. And it was as that moment their lips met in a kiss that would be the first of many.

* * *

**The Streets of the Forbidden City, Present Time**

* * *

Han was having a hard time walking through the crowded streets of the city. All around him citizens and soldiers were celebrating their hard fought victory. Looking to his right, Han could see some of his men laughing and joking around with each other, each holding a small bottle or cup of wine as they ate food graciously prepared by the cities many vendors. Looking to his left, he could see some of his soldiers partaking in more carnal pleasures.

A wolf lieutenant was greatly enjoying himself, feeling like the luckiest canine in the world as he made out with a she-wolf and a water doe that Han had recognized as one of Xiao's guards, Haoxin, both females rubbing their clothed nether regions on a respective leg. Han was greatly surprised to see the lieutenant's tongue wrestle for dominance with Haoxin, who actually seemed to be gaining the upper hand, while the she-wolf nibbled at his ear while massaging his muscular chest over his tunic.

Han actually had to avert his gaze a second later, a deep blush forming on his face as Haoxin dove her hand into the canine's trousers, obviously fondling his member as the wolf moaned into her mouth, only for him to return the favor as he snaked his own hands into both females trousers, making the two girls squeal in surprise.

"God, you lot," Han laughed under his breath, "show some restraint." Upon saying that, Han shook his head with a smile. _I'm starting to sound like Chang_, he thought to himself. Opting to mind his own business and to let his men have their fun, as the citizens clearly didn't mind with it being a celebration and all, Han continued to his destination. On the way, he could see more of the Palace guards enjoying themselves along with his men. He even saw the young private talking with a young palace guard, who giggled at whatever he had just said. Feeling a new pair of eyes on him, the private turned to see the smiling face of his general, who began to walk toward him. Standing to attention, the private quickly saluted.

"At ease, son," Han laugh, placing his hand on the young buck's shoulder.

"Yes, General," the buck responded sheepishly, earning a giggle from the doe, making the buck blush even further. Looking at the two youngsters have fun, Han couldn't help but remember all the fun times he had had with Su over the years. But then, a thought crossed Han's mind as he stared at the young solider.

"Forgive me private, but I do not believe I had asked your name." And it was true. The young private had only just joined the Eighth Regiment late into the final offensive against the Dzungars, so Han and Chang never took the time to learn his name.

"Oh, Nan Hai, sir," the buck responded proudly, earning a wider smile from Han.

"And how old are you, Nan?"

"Seventeen, sir!" Nan responded with just as much pride. Han chuckled as he looked to the young doe beside Nan.

"Fa Jun, am I correct?" Han inquired with a playful tone, succeeding in making the girl giggle.

"Yes, sir," she giggled as she clung tightly to Nan's arm. Han smiled warmly at the girl, as she reminded him greatly of Huifang when she was that age.

"I am sure Jade Tusk and the others are expecting big things from you," Han teased, making Jun blush, "but I can tell you've got it handled." Jun beamed brightly at Han, who, after a quick goodbye, left the two water deer just as he had left them. After walking a little further, Han finally arrived at his destination; Li's Tavern & Inn. Walking through the entrance, Han could see that the small business was packed with patrons.

"Good to see you again, Han," a voice sounded to his right. Looking in that direction, Han could see the auburn-furred buck he had seen earlier, Ludian Li, a teasing smile on his face as his bespectacled teal eyes twinkled with mischief. Han, with a smile of his own, approached the buck, who was clad in a plain white tunic and black pants, a dirty red apron tied around his waste.

"You to, Lu," Han said as he pulled the younger buck into hug. Pulling away from the embrace, Han got right to business. "Are they here?" With a jerk of his head, Lu indicated a door near the back of the tavern.

"They're in the back," Lu whispered. With a grateful smile, Han discreetly placed three gold pieces into the leather pouch Lu kept on the front of his apron.

"For your troubles, old friend," he whispered.

"No trouble at all," Lu proudly replied, "just give that boy Chang of mine a kick in the ass for me."

"Will do," Han replied with a laugh before starting toward the back of the tavern, passing many of his men and other patrons along the way. Just before he reached the door, Han heard a moan come from a table placed in a dimly lit, secluded corner, the only occupants were one of his bucks and one Xiao's palace guards, one of the latter's exposed breasts being assaulted by the former's mouth as the buck's fingers rapidly thrusted into her barely exposed opening , filling her with great pleasure as she clawed at his back, desperately trying to quiet her screams of ecstasy.

But, what really caught Han's attention was the fact that he could see the form of another guard beneath the table, her head bobbing up and down, a clear indication that she was "servicing" the buck, her torso exposed, giving one a clear view of her surprisingly ample breasts, the two mammaries obviously having been freed from the chest wrappings that lay on the floor.

With a heavy blush, Han quickly exited the tavern through the door into a secluded room, it's only furnishings being a wine cabinet and moderately large table. Seated at the table were his three most trusted spies, lead by his beautiful lover, who still smelled of the cinnamon perfume he gifted her long ago. The trio of snow leopards, through the dim light of the lanterns in the room, noticed the deep blush on the older bucks cheeks.

"You saw those three, huh," Wan teased, referring to the three water deer outside the door, her mask normally positioned over her mouth actually down as she sipped at a cup of wine. With a groan, Han nodded. Relishing in his embarrassment, Wing added her two cents to the conversation.

"Hey, is it any different from what you and our sister do," she laughed, quickly joined by Wan as their sister and Han blushed madly at their perverted teasing. Wanting to get their meeting underway, and to save her buck from further embarrassment, Su loudly cleared her throat.

"If you two perverts are done," she growled through clenched teeth, "can we get to business." Upon hearing this, Wing, with a mock pouty face, responded.

"Oh, you're no fun," she whined. Having recovered from the awkward conversation that transpired just moments before, Han rolled his eyes as he sat across from the Wu Sisters. Without saying a word, Han produced a medium sized bag full to bursting with several gold coins, half the contents spilling out as he tossed it on the table. With eyes wide with glee, Wing and Wan quickly began to gather their share of earnings for their role in stopping the Dzungars. Su, on the other hand, just stared lovingly at Han, taking one of his hands in hers.

"Thank you," she whispered, completely oblivious to her sisters. Han simply shook his head.

"Thank Kang Zi and Xiao, not me." Su just laughed at her lover's modesty.

"But if it weren't for you convincing him to have us act as spies, we would still be rotting in prison." Pausing in their money counting, Wing and Wan both looked toward the two lovebirds, their faces soon scrunching up in playful disgust as they decided to leave their sister alone with her army boyfriend.

"Well," Wing began as she stood up from the table, her share of gold in a pouch she kept on her hip, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking to get me a piece of army cake tonight. I think it's time to see if there is any truth to what they say about water bucks." With a groan, Han pinched the bridge of his nose while Su stared daggers at her sister, who simply stuck her tongue out as she made for the back exit of the inn, but not before saying one more thing to Han.

"Hey," she called to Han, who looked at her with an annoyed expression, "you're, uh, a pretty descent guy Han. I see why Su likes you so much." At first shocked from this rare form of praise from Wing, Han nodded in response, a genuine smile on his face. The smile quickly turned into shock again as Wan walked around the table, so that she was by his side, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. Looking to the youngest of the Wu Sisters, Han's shock soon melted into brotherly adoration at what Wan said next.

"Thank you so much, Han," she said humbly, "for everything. If you and Su ever decide to get married, I would be proud to have you as my brother." And with that, the two youngest Wu Sisters left their sister and her buck alone, the former resuming her loving smiling at her lover, who's gaze never left the door that had just now closed.

"I don't think I will ever understand those two," Han said with with a chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. Su, however, took full advantage of the situation by standing from her seat, only to walk around the table to her lover, straddling his lap as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Han, catching on to the seductive hint the sexy leopardess was giving him, smiled a lustful smile as he wrapped his arms around his beautiful girlfriend's waist.

"You don't have to," Su purred, her half lidded gaze eyeing Han's chiseled features hungrily, "just me." With that, Su lunged her head forwards, only to be stopped by Han placing a finger on her lips. With a mischievous smile, Han spoke.

"My quarters at Army Headquarters. Tonight." With a groan, Su pulled away.

"Ugh, you are such a fucking tease!" Su cursed, the sexual tension between the two becoming unbearable. Han merely shrugged.

"Takes one to know one," he laughed, which did little to ease Su's frustration.

"Please." Seeing Su Wu beg was very rare sight. One would almost want to drag it on in order to relish in the feeling. But, while a person like that would almost certainly have a death wish to do so, Han wanted to truly be alone for his time with Su. So he decided he would be a "decent guy" and appease her appetite for now.

"Well," he began, causing Su to look at him hopefully, "while you have to wait for the main course, I can give you a little appetiz-MMPH!"

Before Han could finish, he was silenced by Su jamming her tongue into his mouth, moaning loudly as his began to battle hers for dominance. While this oral battle happened, Han could feel Su grinding her groin against his crotch, the moisture from her aroused sex seeping through her trousers as she moaned into his mouth. Su, of course, was greatly overjoyed to be getting some form of relief from Han. And the feeling of a prominent bulge pressing against her crotch only added to the excitement. Pulling out of the kiss, a string of saliva connecting their mouths, Su moaned loudly.

"GOD, I NEEDED THIS!" But, just as she was about to continue her hormonal onslaught, Han quickly removed her from his lap, sitting her on the table before pulling her trousers completely off, exposing her glistening sex to the world. Spreading her legs wide, Han knelt down so that he was face to face with Su's aroused folds, fluids dripping thanks to her earlier stimulation. Bringing his head forward, Han proceeded to pleasure Su by taking a long, slow lick from the bottom of her slit to to the top, eliciting a load moan of pleasure from the aroused feline. Su couldn't take it anymore and, with startling speed and strength, wrapped both her legs around Han's neck, forcing his muzzle deeper into her sweet folds.

"MMPH!" Han grunted in surprise. Looking up at Su with wide eyes, Han could see a look of shear determination on her face, combined with lustful glare as she ran her tongue over her teeth, a clear sign she was trying to take dominance. But every person has their breaking point, and Han knew what Su's was. With a devious smile of his own, Han proceeded to enjoy his "meal." While at first taking it slow, which seemed to aggravate the very desperate Su, Han made a surprise move by grabbing Su by both of her thighs, which seemed to confuse said snow leopard.

"Han, what are you-EEK!" Before Su had time to respond, Han abruptly stood up, his hands holding tightly to Su's toned thighs, the latter's upper body being supported by the table that creaked and groaned from the sudden movement. Before long, the small room was filled with sounds of sequels and moans as Su was eaten out by her cervine lover, who with great skill, darted his tongue in and out of his feline companions sweet passage. Su was in such of state of pleasure that she began to drag her claws along the tabletop, her fangs biting into her lower lip as she tried in vain to suppress her screams.

"OH FUCK YES!" Su screamed as she opened her tunic, her hands pulling away the chest wrappings that bound her small but supple breasts, the sensitive nipples atop of them fully erect from the stimulation she was receiving. Not missing a beat, Su began to mold and massage her breasts as Han continued to work on her slick opening. Withdrawing his tongue from the dripping snatch, Han began to nibble on Su's swollen clitoris, an action that seemed to send Su over the edge.

"HAN, I'M-I'M GONNA...!" With just enough time to react, Han, pulling away from the sensitive clit, latched his lips over Su's quivering folds as she let loose a torrent of sweet nectar, which the experienced buck managed to catch most of in his mouth, swallowing with satisfying gulps as Su began to calm down from her orgasmic high. Gently repositioning Su so that her legs were the only only thing's hanging of the table, Han lowered his head once again to lick off the excess of Su's release, making the spent snow leopard moan on content. Once Han was satisfied with his work, he began to move to pick up Su's trousers. However, he soon received a great surprise.

Su, having gained a second wind, turned the tables on Han by pushing him on the table where she had just been, quickly opening his tunic, waistcoat, and under tunic in one go. Before Han could react, Su had deftly pulled his trousers, red sash and all, down to his knees, exposing his ten inch member to the air. Just as Han prepared to speak, he let out a loud moan of pleasure as Su began to expertly run her rough tongue up and down the length of Han's member.

"You're a hungry little kitty aren't you," he finally managed to say, only to let out another loud moan as Su, after bringing her mouth to the tip of Han's penis, expertly took the impressive member all the way down to the base, causing Han's muscles to tense up in ecstasy. Before long, Han could feel the immense pleasure of his spotted girlfriend deepthroating his member. But, as he observed, she seemed to be going a relatively slow, almost teasing pace. Looking down at Su, Han could see her flash a teasing smile.

"Oh," Han began with a lustful growl, "I see how it is." Before Su could even react, Han quickly stood to his feet, causing a surprised Su to throw her arms behind her to keep herself from falling on her back. However, that was the least of her worries, for as soon as she had regained her balance, Han, after grabbing onto Su's head with one hand, placing the other on the table behind him to keep his balance, began to rapidly thrust his member deep into her mouth and throat, the sudden onslaught causing to Su to moan and gag on the buck's member. Han, on the other hand was on cloud nine, his loud panting and groaning a clear indication he was enjoying being the dominant partner. But, after a few minutes, a familiar pressure began to fill his loins.

"SU!" He practically screamed as he looked down at the leopard, her eyes having rolled into the back of her head from the pleasure. After a few more hard thrusts, Han finally hilted his member in Su's throat, the feeling on his warm sperm spurting from his throbbing member sending said feline into a state of euphoria. After about ten seconds, Han finally withdrew from his girlfriend, a small string of semen connecting her mouth with the head of his penis. Looking down to the dazed leopard, Han held a triumphant smile.

"Did you enjoy the appetizer, miss?" Han panted out with a sly smirk. Standing shakily to her feet, Su, grabbing Han roughly by the collar, pulled him into a deep kiss, once again shoving her tongue into his mouth, allowing the buck to taste himself on her tongue, moans of pleasure one again escaping their throats as Han's semi-flaccid member rubbed against Su's dripping opening. Pulling away with gasp, Su, having slightly recovered, returned Han's smile.

"Like you wouldn't believe," she growled, "but I can't wait for the main course." With his sly smile never faltering, Han gently pulled himself away from Su, both soon redressing themselves before they left. But, before they did, Han placed a gentle kiss on Su's forehead, resulting in a content sigh from the female feline.

"Until tonight, My Sweet?" He inquired lovingly, his forehead resting against hers. With a happy sigh, Su responded.

"Until tonight, My Love." And with that, the two parted ways, unaware that an unplanned series of events were to put a crimp in their festivities.

* * *

**Shi Long's Quarters, Imperial Palace, Just after Midnight**

* * *

Shi Long sighed as she sat in her room. Outside her closed windows, she could hear the sound of celebration happening as the people celebrated the army's victory over the Dzungars. But, given the fact that she was still being held for her attempted coup against Xiao, she obviously could not partake in the merriment. But, she really couldn't complain too much, as it gave her the opportunity to have privacy when Huifang came to visit her. If Shi Long was being honest with herself, she just couldn't remove the thought of the kiss the two had shared from her mind. But, she would be lying if she said she had not enjoyed it. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more Shi Long began to realize that she might have feelings for the boisterous doe. Her train of thought, however, was soon interrupted by the sound of her chamber doors being opened.

"Shi Long?" a pleasantly familiar voice called. Try as she might, Shi Long couldn't help the loving smile that spread on her lips, lips that tingled whenever she thought of that special moment just hours ago. Looking toward the door, Shi Long could make out the form of Huifang, clad in a white, gold embroidered sleeping gown with black trousers, carrying a trey of something the curious reptile could not make out.

"Yes, Huifang, what is it?" The komodo dragon inquired with genuine curiosity. Huifang, without saying a word, crossed over to the female lizard's bed, the chamber doors closing behind her. Upon reaching her destination, Huifang sat just beside Shi Long, just enough space between the two to set the trey down. Looking down to the trey itself, Shi Long could see that whatever was on the bronze dish was covered with a white silk clothe. Although, thanks to her incredible sense of smell, she could tell that it was sweet and delectable. She was soon brought out of her musings as Huifang spoke.

"I thought I would bring you something special," the doe answered, removing the silk clothe from the trey to reveal two dough buns, dusted with sugar and drizzled with a sweet sugar glaze. When the scent of the warm, freshly made sweets fully hit her nostrils, Shi Long closed her eyes as she moaned in anticipation. Huifang, upon seeing this, smiled at her companion as she continued to speak. "Yeah, I figured that just because you're cooped up in here, doesn't mean WE can't celebrate." Upon hearing "we," Shi Long opened her eyes to look at the beaming doe, somewhat confused.

"But wouldn't you want to spend time with your uncle instead of me?" the question itself seemed to cause Huifang's smile to falter a little as she answered Shi Long's question.

"Well, he had something to take care of the city," she began, a hint of sadness in her voice. The sadness quickly vanished as she continued, her smile once again returning full force. "But he said tomorrow we can spend all kinds of time together." Upon saying this, Huifang's face relaxed some as she began to stare at Shi Long with gaze, as said reptile observed, that seemed to hold affection.

"Besides," Huifang continued as she reached across the trey, surprising Shi Long by take the latter's hand into her own, "I don't mind spending time with my girlfriend." THAT truly caught Shi Long off guard.

"G-Girlf-f-friend?" she finally managed to stutter out after a few moments of shock. Huifang, her smile never once leaving her face, shrugged her shoulders as she responded.

"Yeah!" she responded in her usual bubbly manner, "I thought since we kissed that meant we were a couple now." However, upon seeing the passive expression on the shocked reptile's face, Huifang couldn't help but grow nervous, her smile falling with each passing second her companion didn't respond. Unable to take anymore silence, Huifang cast her gaze down as she tentatively continued to speak, unaware of the smile that began to form on Shi Long's face.

"Unless you don't wanna be called..." Huifang was quickly cut off as her face lifted by two scaly hands, her lips making contact with Shi Long's. Recovering from the shock, Huifang closed her eyes as she leaned into the kiss, sighing in content as she did so. Pulling away from the happy doe, Shi Long pressed her forehead against her new girlfriend's, laughing as she began to speak.

"No, no," she huffed out, a smile still very present on her face, "I LIKE girlfriend." And for the next few moments, the two sat in silence, savoring the experience they were having. Unfortunately, that sweet moment passed in an instance as a cold, mocking voice filled the room.

"Oh, that is touching, truly it is." Pulling away from each other, both women sprang to their feet, Huifang's eyes scanning the dimly lit room for the intruder, while Shi Long's widened in sudden fear. The fear multiplied exponentially as Mu Lang emerged from the shadowy corner just twenty feet from the duo, a sick, twisted smile on her muzzle as she continued to speak.

"But it is making me sick, and we really must be going, Shi Long. OUR master is waiting for you." Upon hearing this, Shi Long shrank behind Huifang, who at this point took on a sour expression as she put herself in a defensive stance, clearly ready to protect Shi Long from this strange wolf. Shi Long, her whole frame trembling in fear, held tightly to Huifang's arm as she responded to the dark furred she-wolf's question.

"She is not my master, Mu Lang, and I am not going anywhere with you!" The cruel cackle that came from the wolf filled Shi Long's entire body with dread, a cold chill running down her spine, which was really saying something since she was cold-blooded.

"Oh, sweetie," Mu Lang mockingly cooed, "you don't have much of choice." Having had enough of the clearly demented wolf, Huifang interjected as she took a defiant step forward, freeing herself from Shi Long's grasp.

"If you want Shi Long," she growled in a low voice through gritted teeth, "you have to go through me first."

"That's the idea, Honey," Mu Lang teased. In that moment, upon seeing something move in the corner of her vision, Huifang turned just in time to receive a savage blow to the head, a sickening smack echoing in the room. In an instant, Huifang was on the floor, unconscious from the blow to her, a small puddle of blood forming around a gash that had formed on her left temple.

"HUIFANG!" Shi Long screamed as she started to rush toward the fallen doe. But before she could, she was grabbed from both sides by what appeared to be Terra Cotta warriors. Only these ones appeared less bulky, almost lean, and seemed to move with great speed and agility, obviously due to the open spaces where the knees, ankles, elbows, etc. would be. But what frightened Shi Long most, was that there appeared to be no one in the armor, as if it had a life of it's own. Looking to were Huifang had fallen, Shi Long could see a third warrior, a Terra Cotta helmet molded into the shape of what appeared to be a demonic canine, with a pair of glowing red eyes that seemed to pierce deep into Shi Long's soul, fueling her fear even more. With another cruel chuckle, Mu Lang began issuing orders.

"Take her to the master." And with that, The guards smashed through the boards of one of the chamber's windows, taking Shi Long with them, but not before the terrified reptile let a pleading cream for help. But just as the guards burst through the doors, Shi Long and her captors were gone, leaving behind only an unconscious doe.

* * *

**In the City, Same Time**

* * *

"Wing, we really shouldn't be doing this." Wing rolled her eyes upon hearing her sister beg her to stop roaming through the city's alleys.

"Come on, Wan," Wing retorted, "it's a celebration. Besides, it's been so long since I've gotten any." Wan briefly recoiled in disgust at the thought of her sister getting involved in such lewd acts, even though she knew that Su and Han were probably doing the same thing at that very moment. Shaking those thoughts from her head, Wan resumed her pursuit of her older sister.

"But if somebody recognizes us, we could get into some serious trouble. The only people who know we have be pardoned are us, Han and the Empress." Wing, stopping abruptly, quickly turned to her little sister, an annoyed look on her face.

"Don't forget Huifang, Wan," she added, hands on her hips. "Besides, you act like every time we step outside Croc and Ox are going to show up and through us back in prison. But, they couldn't even if they tried. For one thing, like you said, we were PARDONED,' she emphasized as if she was educating a small kitten, "and two, Xiao and Han wouldn't have any of it if they tried. So stop worrying and have fun." Seeing that she wasn't going to be able to convince her sister, Wan let out a long sigh as her shoulders slumped.

"Alright. but what IF someone recognizes us?" Wing just scoffed at this.

"Almost everyone in the city is passed out drunk, or nearly there. Relax. Besides," she teased as she caught sight of a disheveled water buck propping himself up against a stack of crates, "I think I just found the relief I need." But, just before Wing could put her carnal plan into action, the sound of a loud bell resonated through the city. "UGH!" Wing groaned in annoyance, "NOW?!"

"We should see what's going on." Wan called as she began moving toward the direction of the bell, a reluctant Wing following close behind.

* * *

**Elsewhere in the City, A Few Minutes Earlier**

* * *

The celebration went on well into the night. Heck, it was past midnight and the city still had a few pockets of partying going on, although a majority were of a more lustful nature. Heck, even at that very moment, in a room located in one of the many Inns located throughout the city, Haoxin was receiving a faceful of the female wolf's crotch as said female made out with the wolf soldier who was currently thrusting deep into Haoxin's opening. And throughout the city several other couples had more daring escapades out in the open, the alcohol in their systems having wiped away all inhibitions.

However, Chang and Jade seemed to be unbothered by this as they were really just enjoying each other's company. Through the night, the doe and buck merely chatted and exchanged stories of their adventures since they first met. All the while, Jade kept her arm threaded through Chang's as they walked along the semi-deserted, lantern lit streets. After a while, the two decided to just walk in silence, savoring the time they were were spending together. Although, while Chang seemed to be rather calm, Jade was the exact opposite. Almost the whole time the two walked through the city, Jade couldn't help but feel very nervous. In fact, the whole time she was with Chang, the conversation she had with Xiao lingered in her mind, wondering if what the lynx had told her about liking Chang was true.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," came a ruff, but familiar voice that succeeded in pulling Jade out of her thoughts. Looking to the source of the voice, Jade actually managed to smile as Hanfang walked toward the duo, a broad smile on his face, accompanied by, what she observed, an extra spring in his step.

"Well someone seems to be in a chipper mood this evening," Chang laughed, his voice sending chills down Jade's spine, which only made her think about what she had told Xiao. Hanfang, upon reaching the two, merely rolled his eyes as he let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh please," he responded nonchalantly, "I just had a bit of, uh, shall we say 'business' to attend to at your uncle's tavern." Upon hearing the word "business," Chang automatically knew what Han meant, even Jade, as Chang had confided in her about Han's spies. While still keeping his smile, Chang let out a sigh, shaking his head as he prepared to pester his general and friend more about the topic of his "business."

"Are you EVER going to tell me about them?" he inquired, a hint of pleading in his, which seemed to concern Jade, as she was unaware of the topic of the two buck's discussion. But, whatever the topic may be, Jade could see that it had a considerably negative effect on Chang, who's shoulder's seemed to slump at what Han said next.

"Someday. But for now, the less you know, the better." Chang laughed out a sigh, shaking his head at his general's stubbornness.

"I DO trust you Chang," Han soothed, patting Chang on the shoulder, "but their are some things that are need-to-know. Alright?" Having said this, Han was relieved to see Chang smile in understanding, offering a curt nod to his commanding officer.

"I understand, sir," Chang responded, earning another pat on the shoulder by the older buck as the latter proceeded with his walk, but not before giving Chang a swift kick in the tail, an action that actually sent the young buck a few feet forward, releasing a small yelp in response. Whirling around in shock, an annoyed expression plastered on his face as he glared at Han, who held a smug look on his face.

"Courtesy of your Old Man," Han called as he began to walk away, leaving a flustered Chang behind. Jade, finally recovering from the shock of what she had just witnessed, actually began to laugh a full, hearty laugh. The action itself caused her to snort again and again, which did not go unnoticed by Chang, who upon hearing the rather unladylike guffaw from Jade, began sporting an amused smile.

"Wait," he began, catching the laughing doe's attention, "that's your laugh?" The way he said, it was made very clear that Chang was greatly enjoying what he was seeing and hearing. True, he had heard his companion give small huffs and giggles, but never full on laughter. Jade, in a futile attempt to get her laughter under control, tried to suppress it by clapping her hands over he mouth, turning away from Chang in the process.

"NO, NO!" she tried to explain in between snorts, "PLEASE! I HATE MY LAUGH!" Chang was flabbergasted; who could anyone possibly hate that laugh. Coming around so that he was now in front of Jade, Chang joined in her laughter.

"What?!" he cried in amusement, "It's adorable!" After a few more minutes of laughing, the duo finally managed to calm down enough to get a good amount of air back into their lungs. As the laughter died away into occasional giggles, Chang and Jade found that they were now staring at the other. Upon looking into each other's eyes, a new feeling overcame them.

Grabbing Jade's hand, Chang dragged her to a nearby alley, both laughing in excitement. Upon reaching the alley, Chang quickly turned to Jade, who's heart was beating rapidly, not just from the laughing and the running, but from the knowledge that she was alone with Chang. The jovial atmosphere now dissipating, Chang slowly approached Jade, gently taking her hands into his. Upon doing so, Chang noticed that Jade was trembling, her gaze cast down as he closed the distance between the two.

"You're shaking," he muttered, his face now only inches away from hers. Looking up into her companions stunning blue eyes, Jade could feel her own begin to flutter close as she leaned toward him.

"I'm scared," she rasped out.

"Don't be," Chang responded as he began to lean into Jade, "I would never hurt the woman I love." Upon hearing this, Jade felt a new wave of adrenaline sweep through her as she forced her lips onto Chang's in a deep and passionate kiss. Chang, having recovered from the shock, returned the kiss with as much ferocity, his eyes widening in surprise as Jade attempted to force her tongue between his lips and teeth, which, after having recovered, he was all to happy to let part, granting the doe access.

Within seconds, the pairs tongues were battling for dominance as their impromptu make-out session carried on. But soon, Chang's pulled out of the kiss, only for his lips to begin to travel down Jade's chin, only stopping when they reached her neck. Jade began to moan as Chang started to suck, nibble and lick at her exposed neck, filling her with great ecstasy. Her breath even hitched as she felt Chang grab onto her left breast through her clothing.

However, the moment was short-lived, as the sound of a loud bell resonated throughout the city. Pulling away from Jade, Chang's eyes went wide as his senses were now on high alert. Jade, recovering from the brief moment of ecstasy she had just experienced, recognized the sound as well, all previous feelings of pleasure gone in an instant.

"It's the alarm at Army Headquarters," she said out loud. Chang, not missing a beat, vacated the alley, Jade following close behind as they sprinted toward Imperial Army headquarters.

* * *

**Imperial Army Headquarters, General Hanfang's Quarters, Ten Minutes Later**

* * *

Su was a nervous wreck. She had only just arrived at Han's quarters fifteen minutes ago, sneaking in through the window so as not to be seen. Having beaten him there, she decided she would undress and lay seductively in his amazingly comfortable bed as a way to surprise, and hopefully, entice him to join her. But, just as she was about to shed her vest, a loud bell rang out from a nearby tower in the complex. Having been to Headquarters secretly in the past, Su recognized it as an alarm. Knowing this would once again keep her from enjoying her "alone time" with Han, Su let out an exasperated sigh as she refastened the clasps on her vest. Not five minutes went by when her sisters flipped through the open window.

"Su," Wan whispered, followed closely by a perturbed Wing, "what's happening?" Understandably so, Su, with an annoyed look that rivaled Wing's, responded.

"I don't know!" she groaned as she rolled her head on her neck as she threw her arms up in frustration, "but whatever it is, it better be more important than me jumping Han's bones!" Upon hearing this, Wan's eyes widened at Su's very crude language, all while Wing's annoyed expression was replaced with a sly grin. But, before she could tease her sister on her current predicament, Han quickly entered the room in a panicked state, allowing the middle sister the opportunity to turn her teasing on Han.

"What's wrong," she teased, "the mess hall run out of booze?" Han's answer, however, was not what she expected.

"Shi Long's been taken by followers of the White Bone Demon." That caught the sister's attention. And their hearts fell by what Han said next. "And Huifang was attacked in the process," he finished in strangled sob, clasping his hand over his mouth as his eyes brimmed with tears. Completely forgetting about being annoyed, Su rushed for Han, wrapping her arms around his neck, the gesture gratefully returned as he encircled his around her waist. Recovering from the shock, Wing spoke up.

"Is she alright?" Pulling away from Su, Han, having recovered slightly, gently nodded.

"She's fine. Just took a nasty blow to the head, but, otherwise, nothing too serious. She just needs to rest" he answered, a small smile on his face brought on by Wing's genuine concern.

"So what are you going to do?" Wan interjected, her voice laced with worry. Turning to the youngest Wu Sister, Han answered.

"I have already briefed Chang and Jade Tusk. they arrived hear just after I did. In the morning, we are going to devise a plan of action to find Shi Long." Looking to each snow leopard, Han continued. "Stay close. I may need you for this one." The sisters each responded with a curt nod and determined expression. Wing's expression soon changed once more into a sly smile.

"How did Jade respond to the news about Huifang?" Han, try as he might, could not help the small laugh that found it's way out of his throat.

"She threatened to, and I'm just paraphrasing here, 'tear of the attackers balls and shove them down his throat.'" At that point, the foursome enjoyed a good laugh, which was a welcome change from the otherwise tense situation.

"She loves that girl more than she will admit. The same with Xiao," Su interjected, receiving a hum from Han as confirmation to her claim. Noticing the lateness of the hour, Han spoke to his trio of spies.

"It's late," he said softly, "you should all go and get some rest. I will summon you in the morning when we have a plan ready." With a nod each to Han, which the buck returned before walking to his bed, Wing and Wan looked to Su, with a small smile, nodded at them, A silent order to go without her. Sporting sly smiles, Wing winked at Su while Wan merely rolled her eyes. Once her sisters had left, Su turned her attention Han, who at this point had begun to shed his blue tunic and wrist wrappings. Upon feeling a pair of eyes on him, Han turned his attention Su, a familiar longing in her eyes. With sigh, Han closed his tired eyes as he sat on his bed.

"I'm sorry Su, but I just can't..." Han was quickly silenced by Su as she pressed finger to his lips. Looking into his lover's eyes, Han could see that they were not full of contempt, but rather understanding.

"I know," she purred as she lowered herself so that she was eye level with her buck, "I just didn't want you to be alone." Upon hearing this, Han's heart soared, Leaning in, he captured Su's lips in a passionate kiss. Relishing the electrifying action, Su moved herself so that she was now straddling Han's waist. Soon, Han felt Su's tongue rubbing his bottom lip. With a sly smile, Han granted Su access. But unlike the tavern, which was a scene of lust and dominance, the duo's tongues DANCED in what could only be described as pure, unobstructed love as they both moaned in pure bliss.

However, the need for air quickly arose. Parting with a gasp, Su stood to her feet, leaving a panting Han seated on bed. With a sly smile, the female leopard began to unclasp the front of her vest. Turning around so that her back was facing her cervine lover, Su winked at Han over her shoulder, the buck quickly standing to his feet, slipping the vest off of his spotted lover's shoulders, letting it fall to the ground in a heap. When that was done, began to gently plant kisses down Su's neck, eliciting sensual moans of pleasure from his spotted girlfriend. Soon, Han was trailing kisses down Su's back until he came to her waist. As slowly as possible, Han pulled Su's trousers down until they pooled around her ankles, taking her puttees with them.

"My turn," Su purred as she turned around. Standing to his feet, Han smiled as Su slid his blue tunic off his shoulders, followed by his waistcoat. After that, Su began to unbutton Han's white under tunic, one at a time until she could finally remove the article of clothing from his body. Taking a moment to admire her work so far, Su couldn't help but shutter at her boyfriend's impressive physique. And while Han wasn't buff, he did like to keep physically fit.

"Wow," she rasped out as she traced her hands over his toned body, "Only forty-five and you still have all those muscles." With a small laugh, Han leaned down and captured Su's lips with his own once more in a quick peck. With renewed determination, Su began to lower Han's trousers until the latter stepped out of them, leaving him in only a pair of black, skin tight, training shorts, which greatly accentuated his tone legs, but also allowed Su to take in a very noticeable bulge, making her shudder in remembrance of their session at Li's.

Once both lovers were satisfied, Han lead Su by the hand to his rather spacious bed. Laying down on his back, Han smiled as Su straddled his waste. Returning the smile, Su unsheathed one of her claws, dragging it along the tightly bound chest wrappings she wore. In just five seconds, the wrappings fell, exposing Su's small, but still noticeably round breasts to the love struck buck beneath her, leaving her in just her cotton panties.

"I love you," he breathed out, earning a small giggle from the seductive feline who, after stealing another kiss, simply responded,

"I know." With that, Su laid her head on Han's chest, her breasts pressing against his stomach as he placed a tender kiss on her head, all while pulling the white silk blankets over them. Within minutes, the two lovers fell asleep, wondering what the near future would have in store for them.

* * *

**Hubei Volcano, That Same Night**

* * *

To say Shi Long was scared at the moment would be an understatement. In fact, it was taking all of her will power not to pass out from fright. And the fact that her abductors had placed a sack over her head, as well as bound her hands behind her back, was not helping. If anything, it was making her feel claustrophobic. And thanks to the stuffy sack, Shi Long had no idea where she was. But one thing was certain, it sure was hot, much too hot for her cold blooded body. Before long, the terrified lizard was shoved forward, landing hard on her side on the stone floor. With a groan, Shi Long managed to right herself so that she was on her knees. And just as she did so, the sack was quickly yanked off her head, exposing her scaly skin to the blazing inferno of what could only be the inside of a volcano.

"Ah, I was beginning to wonder when you would arrive, my dear."

_That Voice_, Shi Long thought to herself, her eyes widening in terror,_ It can't be_.

Looking to the source of the voice, Shi Long froze in fear. Even though the White Bone Demon was a mere bat at this point, Shi Long still trembled at the sight of the being that betrayed and devoured her, the flying mammal reclining comfortable on what appeared to be a throne made of volcanic rock. Recovering slightly, Shi Long quickly glanced around her surrounds. Clearly, she WAS inside a volcano, if the bubbling magma on either side of the long stone walkway was any indication. The molten rock itself cast a sinister glow all over the large chamber she was in, a chamber strew with stone columns, carved as if to resemble felines.

"Where are we?" Shi Long demanded, trying to sound unafraid, although the crack in her voice gave away her true emotions. Upon uttering the question, Shi Long received a viscous blow to the back of her head from Mu Lang, leaving her slightly disoriented, but still able to keep herself steady.

"Now, Now, Mu Lang," the pale furred bat scolded, leaning forward slightly, "that is no way to treat our guest."

"Of course master," the demented she-wolf responded, offering a dignified bow, "how foolish of me." Looking back to the captive lizard, the demon allowed a twisted smile to form on her short muzzle.

"Now," she began, catching Shi long's attention, "to answer your question, my dear, we are in the Hubei Volcano, inside the FORMER fortress of some of the most feared criminals in all of China." Upon hearing this, Shi Long's eyes widened.

"The Wu Sisters," Shi Long whispered incredulously, her eyes wide in surprise. The blue-eyed bat, thanks to her sensitive hearing, heard what Shi long had said, her smile widening in satisfaction.

"Yes," she confirmed, her gaze boring into Shi Long's very being, "and as you may know, the Wu Sisters left nothing to chance. In these very walls, lie some of the most advanced traps of their time. But I have added something extra special. So, when the Empress sends a rescue party, and let's face it, she will," the demon said with a laugh, " they will be in for a quite surprise."

As soon as the words left her mouth, four columns, two on either side, of the new Terra Cotta warriors marched around the throne from a hidden passage way, the clay material making eerily loud clanking sounds as they did. Shi Long's eyes quickly filled with terror as the soulless red eyes of these possessed warriors stared straight ahead as they came to a stop on either side of the stone walkway. It was at this point that Shi Long realized that whoever came for her, would be in over their heads.


	5. Planning and Passion

**The Forbidden City, Imperial Army Headquarters, the Next Morning**

* * *

The sun began to rise on the Forbidden City, providing a feeling of warmth and serenity through the streets and alleys. And strewn across those spaces were discarded bottles, food, and of course, extremely hungover soldiers and citizens. Some had begun to rouse from their alcohol induced sleep, squinting painfully as the sun hit their eyes, their heads throbbing from the strong headache that quickly followed. But for some, they were fortunate enough not to wake to such an unpleasant experience, having decided to celebrate in physical pleasures, which is exactly what a specific General cherished.

Han squinted as the sunlight entered through the partially opened window blinds, a soft moan escaping his throat as he took a deep, cleansing breath. Sitting up slowly, Han began to feel the side of his bed which he thought would be occupied by his spotted lover, only to find the space empty. Confusion beginning to take hold of him, Han quickly got out of bed, his confusion turning to curiosity as he noticed a trey of tea sitting on his writing desk that he kept in one of the room's corners, a piece of parchment placed neatly upon it. After retrieving and donning a blue dressing gown that he kept on a hook near his bed, Han walked over to the trey of, as it appeared, freshly made tea and took the parchment paper, reading over it carefully.

_Had to go with Wing and Wan. _

_Said they picked the trail left by Shi Long's kidnappers. _

_But, I was able to sneak into the kitchen to get you some tea before I left. _

_Jasmine ginger, just how you like it. _

_Send for us when you need us. _

_Much Love, Su._

Smiling tenderly, Han gently caressed Su's note, his chest swelling with deep admiration for the leopard that had changed his life. Setting the note down, Han proceeded to poor himself a cup of tea. Bringing the cup to his lips, Han sighed as the sweet jasmine base soothed his throat, while the zest of the ginger made his tongue tingle.

"You really know me, don't you Su?" Han asked no one in particular as he looked down at the cup, taking another slow drag of the sweet and tangy drink. Unfortunately, his time of piece and relaxation quickly ended as someone knocked at his door.

"Come in," Han called calmly as he quickly moved Su's letter into one of his desk's drawers. Just as soon as he answered, Han's door opened, only to close again as his most trusted captain and friend entered his quarters, his uniform neatly pressed and cleaned.

"Forgive the interruption, Han," Chang apologized upon seeing his general in such an informal state, which only caused a smile to spread on said general's face.

"There is nothing to forgive, Chang," Han responded playfully, setting his cup down on his desk before moving to dress himself. Even as Han removed his dressing gown, Chang didn't turn away, since both had grown accustomed to changing in front of the other, a trait gained from having to share a tent on the front lines. As Han proceeded to dress, he decided to inquire as to the reason of Chang's sudden appearance. "Are they ready?" he asked as he finished putting on his beige trousers, having already put on his white under tunic. With a nod, Chang responded as Han proceed to put on his blue tunic.

"They are in the war room right now. Also, this arrived for you this morning. It just appeared in the bunks. No one saw who left it," Chang said, presenting a folded pice of parchment in his hand just as Han finished wrapping his legs and forearms with the light blue bindings and puttees. Fastening his red sash around his waist, Han approached Chang, taking the parchment from his hand. Upon opening the note, Han's gaze quickly danced across the text, a slight frown forming on his face as he reached the end. Chang, who at this point was sporting a confused expression, had just enough time to move out of the way as Han bolted out of his quarters toward the war room of the army headquarters.

* * *

**War Room, Imperial Army Headquarters**

* * *

The war room was bustling with activity. Strategists were leaning over maps, maps which displayed multiple fronts and territories, not just of China, but of surrounding countries as well. But near the back of the room, behind a set of double doors, doors which were being guarded by two blue banner soldiers, muskets at shoulder-arms, was a private map room, one used by the General Staff. Upon entering the war room, Han and Chang were quickly met with a round of salutes, which they returned while still maintaining their stride. But, as soon as Han reached the double doors, his stride faltered as soon as the doors opened, revealing Xiao, Jade, a handful of guards, and two people he was not too keen to see at the present time.

"Master Ox, Master Croc," he hesitantly addressed two of the founding members of the Kung Fu Master's Council, "to what do we owe the pleasure?" Without missing a beat, Master Ox quickly answered, the large bovine easily towering over Han by two feet.

"We were summoned by Her Highness to join in celebrating your victory, General," he began, a hint of a condescending tone in his voice, one which Han picked up but decided to ignore for the time being, although he could see in Ox's eyes that he was not going to let that happen.

It was no secret that Ox was not a fan of the Imperial Army, believing them just to be a tool to spread violence. While he himself engaged in violence, it was only in self-defense, or the defense of others. He was too stubborn to remember that the Army fought for, and therefore defended, Empress and country. Luckily, just as Ox was about to continue, Croc quickly interjected, his voice far more gentle than his colleague, a clear indication he was trying to diffuse a confrontation before it started.

"Yes, but when we arrived here early this morning, we were informed about what happened with Shi Long," Croc said, his features softening as he looked at Han, "as well as your niece. I am very sorry, General." Upon hearing this, Han offered Croc a sad smile and a nod of gratitude, which the Kung Fu master returned. Ox, however, while respectful of Han's current situation, could care less at this point, as evident by his next statement.

"While it is unfortunate what happened to your niece, General," he began, his voice having softened some, only to harden a second later, "we have more pressing matters to attend to." Upon hearing what he could only interpret as a blunt brush-off, Chang couldn't stop a frown from forming on his face, his eyes staring daggers at the intimidating bovine. Sensing the sudden tension in the room, Xiao decided to interject before things got out of hand.

"I am sorry, General," She began tentatively, which succeeded in turning everyone's attention toward her, "but Master Ox is right. We have to find out what our game plan should be if we are to find Shi Long." Han, although somewhat hurt that Xiao would so quickly side with Ox, nodded as he hummed in agreement. Even though he wanted to speak up for his general, Chang knew that Xiao and Ox had a point. It was more important at the moment to piece together everything that had transpired and what their future course of action should be.

"How did Shi Long's abductors manage to infiltrate the Palace?" Chang finally inquired, causing everyone to turn their attention toward him. "She was kept under constant guard, and her meals were only brought by Huifang." Upon hearing this, Jade decided to add some information she managed to recover that morning.

"When I spoke to Huifang this morning," She began, all eyes and ears now on her, "she said that she and Shi long encountered a wolf. A female wolf to be specific. Huifang said she had brown fur, and orange eyes that 'reminded her of fire...'" As Chang listened, his eyes began to grow wide as the description that Jade was given began to sink in. Believe it our not, Chang was very familiar with this new, or in his case, old adversary. The brown furred buck was pulled from his thoughts as Jade continued to speak. "...said she didn't notice the wolf's presence until she spoke. She did manage to catch a name. it is..."

"Lieutenant Mu Lang," Chang interrupted, a sour expression on his face as he began to reveal what he knew about this wolf. "Best espionage agent in the Imperial Army. Dishonorable Discharge." Upon hearing this, Han began to nod in as started to recall a conversation he had had with Chang some time ago.

"Yes," he began, "I remember you discussing that topic with me." Turning to the others in the room, Han began to explain what Chang was getting at. "Mu Lang could steal information right out from under the enemies noses and they wouldn't have known she was there. However, she was discharged because she had other, more 'torturous' means of getting information."

"When High Command found out, she was done," Chang added, "she was stripped of her rank and privileges, and sent off." Xiao seemed to relax at this news, glad that Chang had unknowingly disproved a theory she had started to develop.

"I am actually somewhat relived," she said, causing everyone to look at her in confusion, "I actually began to think that someone inside the palace had helped this wolf." Upon hearing this, Jade, with a smile, placed her hand on Xiao's shoulder, causing the young lynx to look at her friend and mentor.

"My sisters are proud warriors, Empress," she began, pride evident in her very being as she and Xiao glanced back at Haoxin and Jun who stood behind them, "they cannot be bought, and they would rather die than betray your trust." Haoxin affirmed this with a small grin, while Jun fervently nodded her head as she beamed from ear to ear, her one visible eye gleaming with joy and pride. Returning the smile, Xiao returned her attention to the other occupants of the room, smiles ranging from small to large on their faces. However, Xiao's smile soon faded as another thought came to mind.

"But know we have the matter of locating them." Ox nodded in agreement.

"Yes," he pondered out loud, "their strategy was flawless, leaving no clues or indication as to where they were going." Upon hearing this, Han looked to Chang, a knowing look on his face as he clutched the scroll that was still in his hand. With a sigh, he spoke.

"Actually," he began tentatively, causing everyone to turn their attention to him, "we do." Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, Ox turned his undivided attention toward Han.

"What do you mean, General?" Ox inquired with genuine curiosity. Looking to Chang, who gave him an encouraging nod, Han presented the scroll as he spoke.

"When Chang came to fetch me this morning, he found this note in the soldier's bunks with no indication who left it." Han paused briefly, a shy smile forming on his lips before he continued to speak. "But I do."

"Who was it, Han?" Croc inquired, clearly becoming very anxious. With a smile, Han nodded to Chang, who at this point had very good idea what his General was on to. With out further encouragement needed, Chang spoke up.

"The General is referring to a special spy ring of his. Individuals who have proven themselves more than capable in the art of espionage." Looking around the room, Chang could see the other occupants nodding, a clear indication that they were indeed listening. However, Ox still held a confused expression as he addressed Han.

"Are you saying these spies managed to track down Shi Long's abductors?"

"Yes," Han replied, thought somewhat hesitantly, as he realized he was about to propose a very risky move that could put himself and his spies in jeopardy. Not just from the enemy, but Ox and Croc as well. But at this point, he knew there was no other option. Steadying his nerves, Han continued.

"And because of that..." taking a deep breath, Han finally gave his proposal, "we are going to need them for where we are going." It was at this point, Xiao's eyes widened at what Han had just proposed, a lump forming in her throat at the very idea of what Ox and Croc would do once they saw who Han's spies were. Speaking of Ox.

"And where is it we are going?" After taking a moment to think, Han decided that at the present time, the less Ox knew, the better.

"All in good time," Han replied, before turning to Xiao. "If that is all, Your Highness," he said respectfully, "I would like to put together a small team to accompany myself and my spies." No words were necessary at this point as Xiao simply nodded her head. With that Han and Chang left.

* * *

**Courtyard Outside of the Army Barracks, Late That Afternoon**

* * *

The courtyard was, just the like the rest of Army Headquarters, rather silent. The reason being that Xiao did not want to cause panic in the city, or in the army for that matter, over the news of Shi Long's abduction. Rather, she wanted her people to still feel safe and content, but while also maintaining great vigilance. But that did not mean that as Han walked toward the barracks that he did not see a few stray soldiers talking with each other, or to his growing annoyance, making out with some visiting females, be they citizens or palace guards.

Flanked by Hu Chan and Nan Hai, Han motioned for them to stay outside, the two younger bucks nodding in agreement, as he entered the barracks, which, unsurprisingly, were empty. The only indication of someone being their was sunlight, peaking through a cracked door down an adjacent hallway. Approaching the door, Han raised his hand and gently knocked upon reaching it.

"Come in," came the rich baritone voice of Han's captain. Entering the rather confined room, Han smiled as he laid eyes on Chang, who at this point was just putting on his blue tunic, reaching for his red sash shortly after. Looking to Han, Chang returned the smile briefly before getting down to business.

"Are they on their way?" Han's smile faltered slightly.

"Yes. I sent Xinshi to leave a note at their last reported position. Told her to wait for a response about a mile away. They'll be here shortly," he said hesitantly. Catching on to Han's sudden shift in behavior, Chang decided to address the elephant in the room, which involved making a very personal accusation.

"You were never going to me about them before now, were you?" Chang inquired softly, hurt evident in his voice. The hurt only grew as Han responded.

"No," Han responded sadly, regret radiating from his very being as he saw the heartbroken look on Chang's face. "But that doesn't mean I don't trust you Chang. The identity of my spies was to be kept under constant secrecy. Not per me, but per Emperor Kang Zi himself." Looking at Chang, Han could see that, although the younger buck was somewhat dejected, came to accept his General's answer.

"I understand," Chang responded after a moment of silence, "I don't like it, but I understand. But I suppose now is a good a time as any to reveal them."

"How do you mean?" Han inquired, very confused at Chang's statement.

"Well to be honest," Chang continued, "the way your going about this, it makes me think this mission is very dangerous, and that not all of us will come out of it alive." Han slowly nodded as he began to understand Chang's worry.

"Listen," Han answered as he placed a hand on Chang's shoulder, "every mission is like that, this one is no different. You just need to be extra cautious. Alright?" After a moment Chang nodded with an understanding smile, a smile Han gladly returned. At that moment, a bell began to sound in the courtyard, a clear indication that someone, or in this case, three someone's were approaching the Palace. With that, Han and Chang began to make their way outside, but not before Chang holstered his pistol.

Once they exited the barracks, the duo found Hu and Nan, The former leaning on some training equipment with the latter sitting on a crate, having a conversation, one that pertained to the current situation.

"I've heard mixed things about these spies," Hu said, a wariness to his voice.

"They have a hundred percent success rating," Nan piped up, hoping to ease his companions worries. The pair quickly sprang up and fell into step as Han and Chang walked by, but that did not stop Hu from voicing his concerns.

"It's not THAT they win," he continued as they entered the palace courtyard, "it's HOW they win that concerns me." Upon reaching the center of the courtyard, the four bucks were met with sight of Xiao, Jade Tusk with four of her guards, Masters Ox and Croc, and, surprisingly, five very familiar pandas.

"Po?!" Chang called out in cheerful shock, earning a wide smile from the acclaimed Dragon Master who, upon coming into arms length from the young buck, pulled him into a tight hug, one that was gladly returned.

"CHANG, BUDDY!" Po exclaimed as he and said buck laughed, "HOW YA BEEN!" Pulling away from the friendly embrace, Po turned to Han, respectfully bowing upon coming face to face with the older buck, matched in response by his four young students. "General Hanfang," he said respectfully. returning the bow, Han addressed the panda before him.

"Dragon Master Po," he began with a laugh, "it is so good to meet you at last. My niece and Jade Tusk speak very highly of you..." Han paused briefly as he looked at the four young pandas who accompanied their master, "... and your students." Po's face quickly fell as soon as Han mentioned his niece.

"How's Huifang doing?"

"Fine, fine," Han reassured, raising his hands to emphasize his point, "Just a headache." One of Po's students, who Chang recognized as Nu Hai, spoke up upon hearing this.

"That is very fortunate news, General," she said with a kind smile. Han offered a warm smile in response as the tallest of the group, Fan Tong, spoke next.

"Yeah," he said in bubbly attitude that reminded Han greatly of his niece, "I like Huifang. She's nice." Han chuckled warmly upon hearing this.

"That she is, that she is," he responded warmly, earning a round of chuckles from all present, save for Ox. The moment , however, was soon interrupted as call from a guard tower caught their attention.

"THEY'RE HERE, GENERAL!" A young buck called to Han.

"OPEN THE GATE!" Han called back in response. With that, the group began walking towards the gate.

"So these spies of yours," began Jing, a broadly built panda who was also Nu Hai's best friend, "is there anything we should know about them beforehand?" Taking a moment to think, Han came to the conclusion that all would be revealed quite soon.

"Only that when you meet them," he began tentatively, "you must trust them." Upon hearing this, Ox became greatly unnerved by Han's tone. Stopping just one hundred feet short of the now open gate, the group was met by a very surprising sight; Three female snow leopards walking toward them. It was at this moment, Ox and Croc took a defensive stance as they recognized the criminals they put in orison twenty years earlier.

"The Wu Sisters!" Ox yelled, causing Jade Tusk and her guards to quickly move to protect the Xiao as Po and his students joined Ox and Croc in their defensive stance. It was at this moment that Han realized the situation was already getting out of hand, especially since Chang, Hu, and Nan were also aiming their pistols and rifle respectively at the feline trio. With a great feeling of annoyance, as well as newfound anger boiling in him, Han knew what he had to do at that moment.

**"STAND DOWN!"** Han bellowed at the top of his lungs, causing everyone, even the three sisters, to look at him in shock, with Ox being the first to recover.

"Are you mad?" he inquired in a quite, but tense voice, "do you know who they are?" Han, glaring daggers into Ox's eyes, swiftly responded.

"Yes," he said in a defiant voice, "they are my spies!"

* * *

**The War Room, Several Minutes Later**

* * *

To say the situation in the war room was tense, and to an extent, awkward, would be an understatement. While Han had managed to calm everyone down after the Wu Sister's arrival, the overall tension and mistrust was quite evident. Master Po and his students, having no formal military training, were asked to wait outside. Although another reason for that being a starstruck Po's constant barrage of questions toward "China's Most legendary Criminals."

But, even as said leopards stood at the main table, Han off to their right, they couldn't help but shrink under the hateful gaze of Master Ox, as well as the less aggressive, but still judging glare of Master Croc. Wan was actually near the end of her rope when it came to controlling her fear. Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from clinging to Su's arm as the two masters who put them away twenty years ago stood just twenty FEET from them.

The deathly silence of the room was soon broken as Hu, who had been looking over a scroll that Xiao had a guard retrieve from the Imperial Archives, began to read the writing aloud.

"'And so it is on this day, under the suggestion of Major Hanfang,'" he read after letting out a sigh, "'That Su, Wing, and Wan Wu, in place of incarceration for their crimes against China, will instead begin service as spies until such a time as I see fit to render their sentence as time served. So say I, Emperor Kang Zi.'" Looking away from the scroll in his hands, Hu reached for another that was resting on the table before handing it to Chang. "SUPPOSEDLY, this is the letter of pardon from the late Emperor Kang Zi." Xiao eyes narrowed at the inflection Hu used when he said "supposedly."

"There is no 'supposedly' about it, Corporal Chan," she said sternly, her hard stare shared by Jade who cast a disapproving glare in the buck's direction, causing said medic to bow his head in submission. While this was happening, Chang unrolled the scroll in his hands, reading it over. Any skepticism he had quickly vanished as he came upon the personal seal of Emperor Kang Zi, one not easily replicated. Letting out a sigh, Chang had no choice but to add to Hu's humiliation.

"It's legit," he said, casting his eyes toward the three snow leopards, who seemed to shrink under his gaze as he set aside the scroll. After a few moments of just looking at the feline siblings, Chang's frown soon turned into a small smile as he addressed the trio. "Your service to China is greatly appreciated," he began, earning a smile in return from Han and Xiao, but a flabbergasted expression from Ox, Croc, and Hu, "and your contributions to the 8th Royal Regiment have ensured our victory over the Dzungars. For that, I thank you."

Upon hearing this, the three sisters offered a warm smile of gratitude toward the young buck. Han himself found himself smiling at his second-in-command.

"And you say I'm too trusting Chang?" he quipped, earning a smirk in return for his captain, as well as a quite chuckle from Jade and Xiao. It was at this point that Ox couldn't take it any more.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" He bellowed at Chang, slamming his fist down on the table, making everyone in the room jump. "Here stand the three most dangerous criminals in all of China, the amount of blood on their hands immeasurable, and you THANK them for their so-called 'contributions?!'" As Ox laid into Chang, who was doing surprisingly well in standing his ground, Wing felt her temper reach the breaking point. Before Han or either of her sisters could stop her, Wing began marching toward the shouting bovine.

"Master Ox," she began dangerously low, causing said Master to snap his attention toward one of the leopards he had put in prison nearly two decades ago, "in case you haven't noticed, our 'so-called contributions' are the reason Han and his boys are still alive. If it weren't for us, they'd be dead. Surely you won't fail to recognize that."

Looking to Chang, Wing's face softened as he offered an appreciative smile for defending him. Returning the smile, which was accompanied by a mischievous wink, Wing turned to rejoin her sisters, but not before shooting a dumbfounded Ox another nasty stink-eye. Hu, having stayed quite for the past few minutes, was still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened.

"Chang," he began tentatively, removing his spectacles from the bridge of his nose, "you can't be saying that you trust them?" The question was more accusatory than genuine curiosity. Chang, catching onto this, glared hard at his subordinate.

"I trust Han," he began harshly, which succeeded in unnerving the medic, who shrank under his Captain's hard tone and glare, "and I trust his judgement. As you should, Corporal Chan." He didn't know why, but the way Chang had said his name and rank caused a slight pang in Hu's heart. Truth be told, he and Chang had been through a lot together, but now was not the time to dwell on that.

"Yes, Sir," Hu said softly following a few moments of awkward silence, delicately placing his spectacles back on his nose, "my apologies, Captain. And to you as well, General." Meeting his medic's gaze, Han offered a warm smile in response, which helped to ease Hu's current bout of anxiety. Realizing now that things had gotten off point, the more level-headed Croc decided to get to the point of why he was in this situation.

"General," he began calmly, but also cautiously, "why ARE the Wu Sisters here?" Upon hearing Croc's inquiry, Han let out a long sigh as he produced the note the Wu's had left for him.

"Because as I told Chang," he began, "we are going to need them for where we are going."

"And where is that?" Ox inquired, having calmed down some. After a moment of silence, Han finally spoke.

"Hubei Volcano."

* * *

**Li's Tavern & Inn, Later That Evening**

* * *

Thankfully, word of Shi Long's kidnapping had not found it's way out of the Palace or Army Headquarters, so the citywide celebration was still in full swing. However, Han had requested that Li's be closed for a private "party." While it was a party in the sense that their would be food and drink, the situation was far less than jovial. Having taken seats at various places among the tavern, Han, The Wu's, Po, minus his students who decided to explore the city and join in the celebration, Hu, Jade, and Chang sat silently as they let the gravity of their current predicament set in.

"So we are all clear of the plan," Han finally spoke, earning a round of nods from all in attendance "Po, Chang, and Hu will come with me, the Sister's, Ox and Croc to Jinzhou, where Xinshi will have told the Furious Five to meet us. That is IF she has found them and they are not too far off. From there, we start for Hubei."

At this point, Su had walked over to Han, drink in hand. Upon reaching the older buck, she sat delicately on one of his knees, which was no surprise to the other tavern inhabitants, who at this point had already guessed the two's relationship was well past professional. Han, while still maintaining his train of thought, wrapped an arm around Su's waist, pulling her closer.

"Once we arrive at the Volcano," Han continued, never once losing concentration, "Su and the girls will get us in through a secret passage way. Hopefully one the Baigujing or her followers haven't found. From there we will locate Shi Long and bring her back. Understood?" Once again Han was met with nods, accompanied with a few hums in agreement. Although one face did strike him as skeptical.

"Hu, is there something you wish to say?" All eyes were now on the bespectacled medic who at the time of Han's question was sipping his cup of Yellow Liquor. With a low sigh, Hu answered.

"Han," he began tentatively, "this plan...if it should fail, what happens then? What if they should go after the Empress?"

"That is why," Han interrupted, "I am leaving the Four Constellations here with Jade as added protection for Her Highness." A heavy silence hung in the room, the tension so thick one could cut it with a knife. The reason being that everyone was thinking of one question, but all were too afraid to voice it. All except Han.

"This IS a dangerous mission. One in which I cannot guarantee we will all make it back from. Right now, all I ask of you is to make the most of tonight as you can."

The statement did nothing to ease the tension. If anything, it only increased it.

The three Wu Sisters looked to each other, their eyes filled with worry.

Po, who had been standing just beside Hu, Wrapped a comforting arm around the latter's shoulder.

Ludian Li, who had been listening from the bar, gulped nervously as he glanced at his son, who turned just in time to meet his father's gaze.

Feeling a pair of arms wrap around one of his, Chang looked down in time to see Jade rest her head on his shoulder.

Looking to the cup in his hand, Chang threw back the remaining brandy before turning his attention back to his uncle.

"Another round, barkeep," he proclaimed solemnly,

"for tomorrow we may die!"

* * *

By the time the still sober group had left the tavern, it was well past midnight. Because of this, the streets were fairly quiet with a few late night stragglers still out. But, before leaving the tavern, Chang still had one final thing to say to his father. Walking up to the older buck who was cleaning off the tavern tables, Chang stopped just a few feet away. Looking up from his work, Lu looked sadly at his son, but offered a brave smile, which was returned by the young buck. However, Chang's smile cracked as a sorrowful expression took over. Lunging toward his father, Chang wrapped his arms around Lu's neck in a tight embrace.

"I love you, Old Man," Chang said in pained whisper, tears falling from his eyes. Recovering after a moment of shock, Lu returned the hug, a few tears escaping his eyes as well.

"And I Love You," he whispered back. After a few minutes of holding each other, the two males reluctantly separated. But, before seeing his son off, Lu cupped Chang's cheek, the latter leaning into the affectionate gesture. "You know," Lu began with a smile, "your mother and I...we...we raised a...a damn good kid." Returning the smile, Chang enveloped his uncle in one more short embrace before leaving the tavern. Stepping outside, Chang found that the remaining members of the party had already left. All except for one.

"Would you care to escort a pour, defenseless girl home," Jade teased as she approached Chang, arms behind her back as she batted her eyelashes. With a warm smile and chuckle, the young buck offered his arm to his companion, who gladly took it. Before long, the two water deer were enjoying a leisurely stroll back to the Imperial Palace. But, along the way, Chang decided to take them on a little side journey. Before long, the two were on the outskirts of the city, having come to sit on a grassy hillside, far from prying eyes so as to enjoy the evening alone. But, during that time, Jade couldn't shake a question that had been lingering in her mind.

"Chang," she began, catching the buck's attention as he responded with a hum, all while they maintained their stride, "did you mean it?" A look of confusion formed on Chang's face when he heard Jade's question.

"Mean what?" he inquired back. Realizing now would be the only chance to learn the truth, Jade mustered every ounce of courage she had to clarify what she was asking.

"That I was the woman you loved?" Chang immediately froze, his wide eyes now fixed on the still burning lamps of the city. After a few moments of sitting in silence, Jade felt her otherwise hard heart begin to break. Moving herself so as to stand, Jade suddenly stopped as she felt a hand grasp hers. Looking down, Jade's eyes widened as she saw her hand in Chang's. Turning her gaze to said buck, Jade could see him still staring at the city. But know, his face more relaxed as a small smile formed on his lips.

"I did," he finally said, turning his gaze toward the doe beside him.

Positioning himself so that he could take both of Jade's hands into his, Chang looked deep into her eyes as he continued to speak.

"Jade, in the short time I have known you, you have been in my every thought. The way you move, the way you talk, the way you smile, and definitely the way you laugh." Jade, upon hearing the last bit, started to pout as she turned her face away from Chang. However, it was in vain as the buck used one hand to cup her cheek, bringing her attention back to him.

"The universe brought us together for a reason, Jade. That much I do believe."

At this point, Jade was so overcome with emotion, emotions long repressed since her time with her old master, Jindiao, that she lunged at Chang, who, with an "OOMPH!" landed on his back on the surprisingly soft grass, the doe straddling his waist in the process. Before he could register what was happening, Chang found that Jade had planted her lips onto his.

Recovering from the shock, Chang slowly melted into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Jade's waist. However, Chang was met with another surprise. Not ten seconds into the kiss, Chang felt Jade's tongue brushing against his teeth, begging for entrance. Not being one to deny the beautiful doe, Chang obliged, parting his lips and teeth, meeting Jade's tongue with his own. Soon, sounds of moaning filled the grassy hill side as the two water deer's tongues fought for dominance.

At some point during the raunchy make-out session, Jade's hands had found their way beneath Chang's blue tunic and under tunic, vigorously running her hands over the toned chest muscles of her partner. Moaning into the does mouth, Chang's hands began to drift lower until they were both grabbing Jade's toned, but surprisingly round rear. Giving a firm squeeze with both hands, Chang succeeded in eliciting a loud moan from Jade. Pulling away from the kiss, Jade brought herself into an upright position. Looking on in want and confusion, Chang's eyes quickly began to widen as Jade began to undo the fastenings of her red, violet trimmed vest, all with a playful smirk on her face. But, before Jade could discard the piece of clothing, however, Chang quickly reached up with both hands to stop her.

"Jade," he whispered in a panic, "what if someone sees?" Jade, undeterred by Chang's worry, leaned down until her mouth was right by one of his ears.

"I think a particular part of you likes that idea," she whispered hoarsely. Of course, Jade was referring to the ever growing bulge in Chang's trousers, which proceeded to rub against her covered crotch, which only added to her stimulation more.

Bringing herself back up to her former position, Jade proceeded to shed her vest, revealing chest wrappings that covered her feminine attributes. This, combined with Jade's lustful stare and teasing smile, awakened a primal urge deep within Chang.

Returning the smile, Chang suddenly turned the tables on Jade. Letting out a surprised yelp, Jade was the one to find herself on her back, with Chang towering over her. With a mischievous smile, Chang removed his red sash, and soon after began to undo the golden clasps on his uniform. In anticipation, Jade proceeded to remove her trousers. Once the black piece of clothing was off of her legs, Jade, now clad in only her chest wrappings and cotton panties, watched as Chang, having now discarded his blue uniform and waistcoat, began to slowly remove his white under-tunic. But, what Jade saw made her gasp.

"Oh, Chang," she whispered, bringing herself up so that she was now sitting on her knees just inches from said buck.

All over Chang's torso were scars. Scars left from arrows, swords, even a few musket balls.

With a sad smile, Chang took Jade's hands in his own and began to trace them along each scar. Each bump and dip in the skin making her shiver. As this happened, Chang allowed his eyes to wander over Jade's body. Honestly, it was not what he was expecting. Due to her usual attire, Jade appeared more broad and muscular. But without it, she was, in Chang's opinion, even more beautiful.

While still muscular, Jade had curves and contours that would make any male do a double-take. Although her remaining articles of clothing left little to the imagination. It was at that moment, Chang grew more bold.

As Jade continued to trace her fingers along Chang's many scars, she failed to notice the buck reaching behind her back. It was only until she felt the cool night air blow across her bare breasts that she realized that Chang had removed her chest wrappings. Before she could properly react, Jade let out a sharp gasp as Chang cupped both of her small, but round breasts, which were actually a bit of a handful for the buck.

Recovering from the shock, Jade looked into Chang's eyes, eyes filled with all the love and lust she was experience at that very moment. No words were exchanged as Chang and Jade resumed their make-out sessions, their loud moans once again filling the secluded area. But, while the moment was greatly enjoyable, Jade was hungering for something else.

And the very thought made her smile mischievously.

Chang gasped as he felt Jade snake one of her hands into his trousers, the object of her desires very clear. And once the doe found what she was looking for, her heart rate increased as she grasped her partner's now fully erect member. Slowly, Jade began to fondle Chang's member, offering slow strokes up and down it's length, succeeding in eliciting strained moans of pleasure from the handsome buck. But, Jade was wrong in thinking that she had the upper hand. While she was focused on stimulating the hard member, she failed to notice Chang slip one of his hands into her cotton panties.

"Chang," she gasped out as she felt his fingers gently trace her sensitive nether regions, which had since grow quite wet from her flaring hormones. Soon Chang's pace on the doe's slit began to match Jade's pace on his throbbing member. Jade suddenly let out a load moan as she felt Chang insert a finger into her tight caverns, slowly building a quicker tempo as he moved the digit in and out. Before long, Jade couldn't take it any longer.

Removing her hand from Chang's trousers, she quickly pushed Chang onto his back. Slightly confused, Chang was far from disappointed when he saw Jade stand to her feet. Soon, Chang's mouth began to water as he witnessed Jade began to remove her cotton panties, a single strand of fluid connecting it with her sweet flower, which at this point was dripping with want.

But the fun was just beginning.

As soon as she was free from her last article of clothing, Jade turned so that she was now facing away from Chang, only to lower herself so that her forbidden fruit was just inches from his face. In just seconds, Jade was moaning in pleasure as Chang took a tentative lick of her sweet nectar. The feeling of Chang's tongue running from the base of her slit to her sensitive clitoris was so euphoric to her. But, upon looking at the tent that was still in her partner's trousers, a naughty idea came to Jade's mind.

Leaning forward so that her breasts were now pressed against Chang's stomach, Jade hooked her thumbs into the hem of Chang's constricting trousers. Slowly, Jade began to remove Chang's trousers, along with his undergarments. Unfortunately, she only managed to get them to the middle of his thighs before being met with a surprising sight.

"Wow," she moaned as she tentatively grasped the nine inch member with one of her hands, cupping the swollen balls with her other. To Jade's surprise, she couldn't even wrap her hand all the way around the engorged member. But if Chang's loud moans were any indication, he was far from disappointed. Taking his moans as encouragement, Jade slowly began to stroke the rather large member.

_How is this supposed to fit in me?_ She inquired to herself. However, she was beginning to care less and less. Especially now that Chang was plunging his tongue deep into her wet caverns. With newfound vigor, Jade began to up the speed on her stroking until she saw a glob of clear fluid appear at the tip. Curiosity getting the best of her, Jade took a hesitant lick. To her surprise, she found the salty, but slightly sweet taste to be rather inviting. Pausing briefly to contemplate her next course of action, Jade was pulled from her thoughts as Chang pulled away from her now quivering crotch.

"It's only fair," he teased before plunging his tongue back into Jade's sweet folds. Unable to resist any longer, Jade tentatively ran her tongue from the base of the long shaft to the tip until she built up a steady rhythm. Now, with the musky taste on her tongue, the invigorating scent in her nose, and the pleasure she was receiving from Chang, Jade was experiencing full bliss she never thought she would experience. In fact, up until this point, the closest she had ever come to feeling this intense pleasure was pleasuring herself while reading one of the few erotic novels she had in her possession. But now, she was overjoyed to finally be living out one of her deepest desires.

"Fuck, Jade," Chang silently cursed, catching her attention. During her personal musings, Jade failed to notice that she had begun to unconsciously wrap her lips around the head of Chang's engorged penis. After a moments hesitation, Jade decided to continue by swirling her tongue around the head, which sent Chang into a deeper state of pleasure. Hearing Chang's moans, Jade decided to push herself a little further.

With some effort, Jade began to lower her head further on the hot piece of flesh, humming in content as she continued to swirl her tongue around the impressive member, her taste buds exploding from the addicting new taste. Chang was so deep in bliss that he could no longer focus on pleasuring his partner who, while only half way down, felt the head poke at the back of her throat, making her gag slightly. But, she was undeterred.

"Jade? You alri-EEEOOOHH!" Chang's question turned into a low moan as Jade did something he didn't expect. Steeling herself, Jade began to attempt to swallow the entire length of his member. At that moment, Chang was trying his hardest not to release his load. But the warm, tight confines of Jade's throat were making it rather difficult. But once Jade had succeeded in hilting the entire member in her throat, Chang could feel his climax approaching.

"Jade...Cumming," he moaned out, which only egged the doe on further. Pulling off of Chang's member until the head was the only part still in her mouth, Jade began to rapidly stroke Chang's member, desperate to have her first taste of his semen. And in just ten seconds, she got what she wanted as the first shot of the salty discharge fired into her mouth, followed by four more. While Jade tried her best to swallow what she could, she pulled completely off of Chang's penis, resulting in the last two shots landing across her muzzle and in her eye.

"What the hell, Chang?!" she seethed, wiping the semen from her eye, only to let out a yelp of surprise as Chang grabbed her by the the thighs and pushed her down his torso. Jade then let out an involuntary moan as Chang, having brought himself into a sitting position, grabbed her breasts, pulling her up so that her back was against his chest.

"Sorry," he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine, "but you are a natural." At that moment, Jade felt the tip of Chang's member poke against her sacred entrance. The strange feeling caused her to release a low moan. Even though Chang took this as a sigh to continue, he did want to be a gentleman in a certain aspect.

"Is this your first time?" he inquired softly. Turning to meet his gaze, Jade gave a timid nod before answering.

"Just be gentle," she pleaded. Knowing that Jade's first time would be painful at first, Chang offered a caring smile before pulling Jade into a passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around her midriff. Moaning into the kiss, Jade reached down and positioned the head of Chang's penis was lined up with her entrance. Slowly, Jade began to lower herself, her tight cavern stretching slightly to accommodate the intruding organ.

"So big," she whined as she sank herself deeper onto Chang's member, the latter struggling to keep his moans under control.

"So tight," Chang groaned. However, just when Chang was about halfway in, he felt a barrier preventing further access. Jade knowing what was coming next, grasped onto Chang's arms before giving a quick nod. Lifting Jade a little, Chang quickly brought her back down, breaking the barrier and allowing him to insert the last few inches of his member into her. The sudden jolt of pain caused Jade to let out a cry of pain, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. After a few minutes, Jade nodded to Chang, who had been whispering words of comfort and holding her tightly. Relaxing his grip on the doe, Chang moved his hands so they were now resting on her thighs, while said down leaned back against his chest, draping an arm around his neck as she did so for added stability.

Slowly at first, Jade began to raise and lower herself on Chang's member, trying to wash away the last remnants of pain. Gradually, the pain dissipated to the point where all Jade could feel was pleasure. Soon, Jade built a steady rhythm while she rode Chang, the latter moaning loudly as he pulled down on Jade's thighs, adding more power and pleasure to her downward thrusts. Eventually, Jade's downward thrusts were met by Chang forcefully thrusting his hips upwards, which added to the ever growing pleasure that was coursing through Jade's body. Soon, Jade felt a very familiar pressure stirring within her core, a clear sign that her orgasm was imminent. Chang himself even begin to feel a second stirring in his loins as he felt Jade's tight cavern contract around his member.

"Jade, I'm close," he said in between grunts.

"Me too..,let's do it together," replied Jade as she began to violently rub her clit with her free hand, desperate to bring about her orgasm faster. And within two minutes, she got what she wanted. Biting her bottom lip, Jade, bringing her hips down hard on Chang's, causing the head of his member to penetrate her womb, began letting out suppressed screams as she released her sweet fluid all over Chang's member.

Chang, upon feeling Jade's tight walls clamp around his shaft, held her tight against his chest, eyes clenched shut as he began to empty his semen deep within her womb. Feeling the warm fluid flow into her body, Jade let out a low moan as she came down from her orgasmic high. Chang, after feeling his orgasm die down, fell on his back in exhaustion, bringing Jade with him.

"That...was...the best orgasm...I have ever had...in my life," Jade admitted between pants, which caused Chang to softly chuckle, only to moan as Jade briefly rolled her hips, her tight cavern squeezing Chang's member for a little longer. After a few minutes, the spent buck pulled out of Jade's opening, allowing a small amount of his semen to seep out.

After releasing a small moan from the feeling, Jade turned to Chang, smiling as she placed a tender kiss on his lips, a gesture that was gladly returned. For the next ten minutes, the two water deer laid in the afterglow of their love. Unfortunately, the pair knew when it was time to go. After taking some time to clean up and get dressed, the two returned to the city, grateful that they were not seen before or after their session. Arriving at the palace gates, Jade turned to give Chang one last passionate kiss.

"I just want you to know," she whispered after pulling away, resting her forehead against his, "that whatever happens in the coming days, I am glad we shared this time together." Chang smiled warmly at the doe in his embrace, pulling her tighter to him as he began to speak.

"I am glad to hear you say that," Chang said sweetly, "and now I truly believe the Universe intended for our paths to cross. From the moment we met, our destines were intertwined. Now, on this night, they have been joined. Mark my words Jade, I WILL come back." Looking into Jade's eyes, Chang smiled as he gently kissed her forehead, before walking away to Army Headquarters, so as to rest for the coming mission. As he walked away, Jade smiled as she whispered to herself.

"You better. Otherwise, I'll bring you back from the Spirit Realm so I can kill you myself." With that, Jade turned to walk into the palace, praying that she would see Chang again when this was all over.

* * *

**Meanwhile, In the Palace**

* * *

Han quietly opened the door to the room occupied by his niece. Peaking inside the dimly lit quarters, Han was surprised to see Huifang still up, given the lateness of the hour. Huifang, upon hearing her door open, looked up to see her uncle standing their, a disapproving look on his face.

"Hey, Uncle Han," she greeted with a sad smile. Han, catching on to this, felt that he shouldn't be too hard on his niece. After all, she wasn't a fawn anymore, although she did have a tendency to act like one. Heck, she was only twenty-three and she still acted as innocent and youthful as the day she came to live with him. Walking toward his beloved niece, Han began to speak.

"Huifang," he gently scolded, "what are you still doing up. It is very late." Huifang smiled as she rolled her eyes. She loved her uncle, but he could be a bit overprotective at times. Moving to meet Han halfway, Huifang enveloped him around the chest in a gentle hug. Han, although confused, returned the embrace, if not a little tighter.

"Couldn't sleep," she whispered into his chest. At first, Han thought Huifang wasn't sleeping out of fear of her attackers. But, given the sorrowful ways she greeted him when he first arrived convinced him that she was concerned. And it was no mystery as to what, or rather who, she was concerned for.

"It's about Shi Long, isn't it?" he softly inquired, causing Huifang to tense up at what she assumed was the precursor to a harsh accusation. Taking this into account, Han began to slowly connect the dots, until finally, he had come to the only rational explanation of Huifang's worry.

"You love her, don't you?"

Han suddenly felt Huifang's muscles tense even more, her breathing becoming faster until a soft sob escaped her throat.

"Do you hate me?" Han froze at this. How could his niece, his Little Sweet Hui, think he could hate her? Pulling out of the embrace slightly, Han, cupping Huifang's cheek, brought her face up to meet his. At that moment, Han's heart broke as he saw eyes once filled with such brightness and innocence, now filled with tears. After taking a moment to recompose himself, Han gently smiled at Huifang, which seemed to calm her down as he felt her muscles relax. Leaning forward, Han placed a gentle kiss on his niece's forehead.

"I could never hate you, Sweet Hui," he cooed as he pulled away, "the only thing I could ever want for you is to be happy. And if Shi Long makes you happy, who am I to argue." Upon hearing this, Huifang lunged at her uncle, her arms now tightly wrapped around his neck as she cried.

"Thank you, Uncle Han," she sobbed with joy. Han, his smile growing, returned the tight embrace. However, the sweet moment was interrupted by a new voice.

"Well, seeing as how he's in his own weird relationship, he really isn't allowed to complain." Looking to the source of the voice, Huifang beamed from ear to ear as she saw Su standing in the doorway.

"Aunt Su!" Huifang exclaimed as she ran to the spotted feline, who happily accepted the young doe with open arms. Unknown to all but Xiao and his spies, Han had secretly confided in Huifang about the Wu Sisters, knowing he could trust her to keep that secret. And in that time, Huifang had come to accept the Wu Sister's as part of her family, eventually referring to them as her aunts. After a few minutes of holding each other, the doe and leopard pulled away from the embrace, the latter bringing a hand up to gently caress the does cheek, who leaned into the affectionate gesture.

"Don't worry, Sweet Hui," Su whispered as Han came to stand beside her, "we are going to get Shi Long back. You have my word." Upon hearing this, Huifang jumped forward, enveloping her uncle and aunt in a tight group hug, one that was gladly returned.

"I love you guys," Huifang whispered, placing a kiss a both of their cheeks. Su smiled brightly as she pulled away from the embrace.

"We love you too, Sweet Hui," she said lovingly, "but you should really try to get some sleep so you can see us off int he morning." With reluctant nod, Huifang agreed, releasing her uncle and aunt for the embrace, allowing them to leave the room so she could settle in for, hopefully, a restful night.

"Now," Han said as the two began to walk to Army Headquarters, casting a teasing smile toward his companion, "I doubt you came here just to say hello to Huifang. I assume their is something you want from me." Expecting a quip in return, Han was shocked to see Su hold a passive expression. His shock only grew as Su leaned into his side as the barracks of Army Headquarters. After a few moments, Su finally spoke.

"Tonight could be our last night we have together," she admitted in a pained whisper. Realizing what Su was getting at, Han smiled gently as he pulled her closer into his side.

"I suppose I have made you wait long enough," he teased, which succeeded in getting a small chuckle out of Su.

"You better believe it buster," Su quipped back as the pair arrived at Han's quarters, "which is why I wanted to make it extra special for you." Confused at first, Han slowly began to realize what Su meant as they entered his quarters. Their, on Han's bed, stripped to their fur, were Wing and Wan, cuddled together as they gently caressed each other, pecking each others lips as they stared seductively at Han. Looking to Su, Han could see a mischievous smile form on her face as she began to slowly strip herself. Soon, a sly smirk formed on the bucks face.

"You ARE one bad kitty," he growled as he quickly scooped a now completely stripped Su up before carrying her to his bed to join her sisters. At this point, Han was so aroused that the tent he was pitching in his trousers actually made the feeling very uncomfortable. But he knew that the sisters would soon remedy that. Carrying his beloved Su to his bed, the sexy feline having already shed her usual garb, leaving her in nothing but her fur, Han set her down beside her equally sexy sisters, who at that point had risen from their reclined positions to begin removing Han's uniform, all while eyeing the buck's bulge.

"I am so gonna enjoy this," Wing growled as she licked her lips, a lustful smile on her face as she and Wan succeeded in removing Han's uniform and under-tunic so that he was now completely topless. Han, upon seeing this, actually did not feel nervous. Instead, he thought he would do a bit of teasing himself. Just as the younger sisters made a move for his trousers, Han gently pushed them by the shoulders so that they were now sitting on either side of there sister, who shared Han's mischievous smile.

"You really think you can handle all of..." Han began in a low, teasing growl, pausing briefly so as to undo the silk belt around his waist, slowly lowering his trousers after doing so, along with his undergarments, "THIS?!" At that moment, Wing and Wan's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as Han's ten inch long member sprang to attention. But, while Wing's expression read one of pure glee, Wan's seemed to possess a certain timidness to it. Looking at the impressive appendage before her, Wing began to drool a little bit at the potential it hand.

"Hot damn, Su!" she exclaimed as she walked up to the well endowed buck, who gave the now incredibly aroused leopard a seductive wink, causing said leopard to blush as she lowered herself to her knees, now coming face to face with Han's member. "How are you able to walk after taking this thing?!" Wing inquired incredulously, bringing a hand up to grasp the hard penis as she spoke, slowly starting to stroke it as her sister responded.

"Years of practice," Su teased as she watched her sister fondle her lover. "You should have been the their the first time. I thought he was going to split me in half." Upon hearing this, Wan, while watching her sister work Han's member, nervously lowered her hands so that they were now between her clenched legs. Biting her bottom lip, the youngest Wu Sister began to slowly rub her wet folds at the erotic display before her, her excitement only growing as she watched Wan stick her tongue out, only to drag it from the base of the incredibly well-built buck's shaft to the tip, then go back down and repeat the process.

Su, on the other hand, was more relaxed when it came to watching Han be pleasured by her younger sister. Reclining back on the bed, one arm keeping her propped up so she could still get a good view of the show, Su unashamedly rubbed her soaking folds as she took in the sight before her, which was about to get even better.

"The bed," Wing growled to Han as she stood up, pushing him back toward the large piece of furniture. Once the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed, Han fell back between Su and Wan, but managed to keep himself seated as Wing used her hands to spread his legs apart, a hungry look on her face as she resumed the task at hand.

But, instead of resuming her licking, Wing instead took her modestly sized breasts, which were actually smaller than Su's, but still noticeable, and wrapped them around Han's ever hardening member. Slowly, Wing began to move her breast up and down the length of Han's shaft, kissing the head of his penis whenever she came back down. As Wing continued on his shaft, Han felt a paw on his right shoulder, pulling him back. After bringing his arms back to keep himself propped up, Han turned his head to meet the lustful gaze of Su, who at this point had propped herself up on her knees so that her bosom was right at eye level with Han.

"Don't forget about me, sweetie," she teased, only for a low moan to escape her throat as Han latched his lips around one of the luscious breast, gently nibbling the sensitive nipple as his hand found it's way to her forbidden fruit. What started as gentle rubbing soon escalated as Han inserted a finger into Su's wet cavern, making the feline moan in pleasure as she brought up one her hands to fondle her other breasts, while the other held Han's head close to her chest. While he was rapidly thrusting and hooking his fingers into his girlfriend's ever moistening entrance, Han managed to catch a glimpse of Wan with her legs now spread wide, which allowed him to see two of her fingers buried in her glistening opening, while her other hand was busy massaging her heaving breasts.

"Why don't you join us Wan?" Han teased as he pulled his head away from Su's chest. Su, finally remembering her other sister, who at this point removed her hand from her glistening slit, closing her legs in embarrassment, offered a caring smile as she used a single finger to beckon Wan over. After a moment of hesitation, Wan finally did so, stopping only once she had reached Han. But soon, any feelings of nervousness or embarrassment quickly vanished. The moment she was within striking distance, Han lunged toward one of her breast, proceeding to give Wan the same treatment he had given Su, including thrusting his fingers into her tight cavern.

"FUCK!" Wan swore as she was sent to new levels of euphoria. Before long, Wan, hand now over her mouth, was letting out muffled shrieks of pleasure as Han sent her to pleasurable heights. At this point, Wing had grown bored with her current stimulation of Han's member. After a moment of just staring at the hard member, Wing finally got up the nerve to wrap her lips around the impressive appendage.

Upon seeing this, a mischievous thought came to Su's mind as she removed herself from Han's side. As Wing continued to encase the large penis in her mouth, she was surprised by how difficult it was to even get a quarter of it in. In fact, by the time she was halfway down, she could feel the head pocking the back of her throat, making her slightly gag. Realizing she had bitten off more than she could chew, or in this case swallow, Wing began to pull her head back up. But, before she could, a husky whisper tickled her ear as a hand was placed on the back of her head.

"Oh no you don't honey." Before Wing could even blink, Su had pushed Wing's head all the way down Han's length, her nose reaching his pelvis at such speed that her eyes widened in shock. At that same moment, Han pulled his head away from Wan's chest as he let out a loud moan of pleasure from the tight throat constricting his member.

"FUCKING HELL, WING!" He swore, removing his hand from Wan's quivering snatch to hold Wing's head in place, swatting Su's hand away in the process. As the strong buck held her head down, Wing couldn't help but gag at the sudden girth that was filling her throat. But, after a few seconds, she felt her throat begin to expand to accommodate the sizeable member. Letting out a low moan, Wing's eyes fluttered shut as she felt Han's grip on her head relax. Taking this as permission to go at her own pace, Wing slowing raised her head, feeling the massive member leave her throat, only for her to quickly bring her head down again, eliciting another loud moan from Han.

"Wan," Su said to her youngest sister, who at this point had resumed fingering her glistening slit as she watched Wing deep throat Han, "why don't you give Han something to eat." Before Wan could even react, Han had grabbed her legs, pulling her over his head so that she was facing her sisters while straddling his face.

"Han, please be gen-TTLLLLLLLE!" Before Wan knew it, Han began darting his tongue in and out of her dripping entrance, a fair amount of fluid dribbling down his chin as he did so. Before long, the sound of Wing's gagging joined Wan's pleasurable screams as Han had his way with them. At this point, all Su could do was sit back and watch the show. Sitting on the edge of the bed, one leg propped up as her other foot rested on the floor, Su began to vigorously rub her opening, inserting some fingers as she watched her sisters be dominated by her fanged lover, who, after a few more minutes, felt his release coming.

"WING, CUMMING!" He announced after briefly pulling away from Wan's folds. Upon hearing this, Wing, who had been fingering herself the whole time, quickly withdrew Han's crotch, quickly withdrew from his member, only to straddle his waist in a few seconds.

"Oh no you don't sweetie!" she growled huskily as she lined up his member with her entrance, "you are gonna fill me up the right way!" At that moment, Wing impaled herself on Han's member, screaming in a mixture of pain and pleasure, completely underestimating the sheer size.

"FUCK! Your bigger than I thought," Wing admitted. Recovering from the sudden shock, Wing began to violently ride the buck, her screams of pleasure mixing with Wan's, who's moist opening was once again being tended to by Han. But, after about another minute, Wing reached her peak. With one final downward thrust, Wing, her mouth open in a silent scream, released all over Han's member and waist, the clear liquid drenching the fur in the process. Upon feeling Wing's cavern tighten around his member, Han reached his limit as he released his load deep within her. Wing let out a low moan as she felt the warm feeling of Han's sperm fill her core, her eyes closing in orgasmic bliss.

"Okay Wan," she said dreamily after another minute, "your turn." With that, Wing keeled over, only to be caught by Su, who gently laid her sister on the comfortable bed as Wan removed herself from Han's face, catching some relief as his orgasm distracted him from helping her reach hers.

"Oh," she answered hesitantly, moving herself down so that she was now straddling Han's midriff, "OK." Reaching down slowly, Wan tentatively took the still hard member into her hand, slowly stroking the long shaft. "How are you still so hard, Han?" she asked in barely a whisper.

"Like Su said," Han replied with a teasing smirk, "'years of practice.' I can go for hours." Ending in a chuckle, Han brought his hands up so they gently caressed Wan's hips, causing the leopard to mewl in pleasure.

"Don't flatter yourself, Jackass," Su playfully chided Han, who merely rolled his eyes as he re-positioned his hands so that they were under Wan's thighs. Feeling Han lift up on her thighs with surprising strength, Wan could feel her heart race as she felt the tip of Han's penis press against her entrance. But, upon feeling Wan start to tremble, Han paused, bringing himself into a sitting position so that he could have a better look at Wan's face, which by now clearly conveyed uncertainty.

"Wan?" Han inquired worriedly. Seeing the nervousness in her sister's eyes, Su soon took on a caring smile as she brought a hand up, using it to turn her little sister's gaze toward her. Once their eyes met, Wan began to feel some of the uncertainty melt away, but it was still very much present.

"Slow and easy does it," Su cooed to her sister, gentle using her thumb to caress her sister's cheek. Upon hearing this, Han came to a sudden realization.

"Are you a virgin, Wan?" he inquired. Feeling the feline in his grasp tense up, Han had his answer. With a loving smile, Han brought his hand up to turn Wan's gaze back to him. Once he had her attention, he placed a tender kiss on her temple, causing the younger female to close her eyes as she moaned in content, a small smile forming on her face. "Don't worry," Han reassured, "we'll take this slow. Just...tell me if you need me to stop." After a few moments, Wan gave a nod of approval.

"Before we start, Su" she suddenly asked just as said leopard began to line Han's member up with her virgin entrance, "can I kiss Han when he...you know?" Before Su could respond, Wan felt her chin once again being pulled toward Han's face, only to met be met with the most loved filled eyes she had ever seen.

"You needn't ask, Wan," Han said as he gentle plated his lips on hers, her eyes going wide as Han kissed her. Slowly, Wan began to relax into the kiss as she brought her hand back to hold Han's head in place. Taking this as permission to go further, Han parted his lips, his tongue snaking out of his mouth until they were rubbing against Wan's teeth. Deeply aroused by this bold move, Wan granted Han access as her tongue met his. Before long, the two partner's tongues were engaged, not in a primal duel for dominance, but a sensual dance of pleasure. As this passionate moment took place, Su took some initiative in getting the real fun started. After carefully lining up Han's member with Wan's entrance, Su gentle pulled her sisters hips down until the hard shaft penetrated her folds, the sudden feeling causing Wan to moan into Han's mouth.

"That's it, Wan," Su purred, "slow and easy does it." Before long, Han, after inserting his member halfway into Wan's tight walls, felt a barrier, one he recognized all too well. Pulling away from the kiss briefly, Han looked at Wan for permission to continue. After a brief moment of hesitation, Wan nodded, bracing herself for the pain she was sure to experience. With Su's help, Han lifted his partner up so that only the head of his member was ensnared by her folds. Then, with a sudden, sharp movement, he brought her down with full force, breaking the barrier and hilting his member in her tight caverns, breaking through to her womb in the process. Wan, clapping a hand over her mouth, let out a muffled scream of pain, tears forming in her eyes.

"Just breathe, Wan," Han soothed as he placed a tender kiss on top of her head.

"Here little sister," Su chimed in, "let me help."

In an instant, Wan received quite a surprise in the form her sister gently rubbing her sensitive clitoris, the taboo act intensifying as the eldest Wu sister dropped to her knee in order to lick the sensitive nub. After a few minutes of slow breathing, Wan finally calmed down enough to want to continue.

"It hurts less, now," she moaned, "but please go slow at first."

"Of course," Han answered as he began to raise and lower Wan on his member, sending the hint to Su that she could stop her oral treatment of her sister's nub. Before long, Wan's pain slowly began to melt more into pleasure as she felt her tight walls stretch to accommodate the large member. After about two minutes, the recently deflowered feline was riding Han without any assistance from said buck, her folds becoming slick with her love juices as she felt wave after wave of pleasure. Before long, both lovers could feel their release coming as Han began thrusting his hips upward to meet Wan's downward thrusts.

"I'm cumming," Wan managed to rasp out just seconds before she felt a tidal wave of pleasure as her walls tightened on Han's member. Feeling the ever tightening confines of Wan's forbidden fruit, Han, with a growl, pulled down hard on her hips, locking them in place. At that moment, Wan could feel Han starting to release strand after strand of potent seed into her womb, the warmth finally sending her into a mind-numbing orgasm, her juices spraying out onto the bed sheets as she felt Han's member throb with every spurt of semen. After about a minute, the orgasmic high finally wore off.

As gently as possible, the now sore Wan removed herself from Han's member, their mixed fluids slowly seeping from her opening as she went to join Wing in sleep. But, before Han could take few moments to relax, he felt two hands push him back by the shoulders. Looking up, Han was met with the sight of a clearly very aroused Su straddling his waist.

"My turn," she growled huskily, lining Han's member with her now drenched opening, "and I've waited so long that at this point, I'm saying FUCK foreplay." Before Han could even react, Su slammed her hips down hard on Han's, a low moan escaping her mouth as she felt the familiar feeling of Han's member where it, as she put it, rightfully belongs. Before long, Han was thrusting up to meet Su's hips as she rode her strapping buck, who at this point was moaning loudly as he was ridden by his sexy feline.

"I love you," Su moaned as she continued to ride Han, who offered a coy smile in response.

"I know," he teased before suddenly flipping the tables on Su, literally. Before Su knew it, she was now on her back, her opening now taking a direct assault from Han's passionate thrusts. At that moment, their eyes met, and the moment that followed, the duo's tongues met in a brilliant display of passion as Su wrapped her legs around Han's waist, desperate for him to release inside of her just as he did her sisters. And before long, Su got what she wanted.

"Cumming," Han whispered huskily against her lips as his thrusts quickened.

"You know how I like it," Su whispered hotly in his ear. That sent Han over the edge. After a few more hard thrusts, Han pressed his hips tightly into Su's quivering sex, his member throbbing as he released deep within Su's womb. Feeling the warm fluid flow through her, Su's body shook as a massive orgasm swept over her, her legs tightening around Han, desperate to keep him in place as her juices drenched his pelvic area as well as his member, which continued to throb within her.

Soon, the sound of heavy panting filled the room as the two lovers just held each other, Han thrusting a few more times into his sore lover who moaned at the action.

After a few minutes of just laying in place, Han pulled out of Su, a low moan escaping her throat as she felt their mixed fluids seeping from opening. Taking the opportunity to stand up, Han reached down and gently picked the now drowsy Su up in his arms before placing her beside her sisters. After making sure that the trio was comfortable, Han laid between them, making sure that Su was by his side. Pulling the sheets up so that their naked bodies were covered, Han began to drift off to sleep, but not before whispering into Su's ear.

"I love you too," before letting sleep overcome him, not noticing the loving smile that formed on Su's lips.

* * *

**The Hubei Volcano**

* * *

"Master," Mu Lang said as she bowed to the flying mammal, who looked upon the she-wolf with some disdain at being pulled from her maniacal scheming.

"What is it Mu Lang?!" She all but hissed, her cold blue eyes staring daggers at her canine servant.

"We have found the Spirit Urn." Upon hearing this, the demonic bat's attitude swiftly changed to one of mischievous glee.

"At last," she whispered with a sinister smil.

"The Qi of the original dragon master will soon be mine."


	6. Life and Death

**The Next Day, Mid-Morning, 5 Miles Outside of The Forbidden City**

* * *

In the early morning hours of the following day, the rescue party, now accompanied by a small contingent of ten soldiers led by Long Chi under orders from Xiao to provide extra security, departed from the capital, looking to reach the city of Jinzhou by late afternoon. Once their, the group would meet up with Master Shifu and the Furious Five, which had Po jumping in excitement. Casting a sideways glance to his giddy friend, Chang couldn't help but crack a small smile at the Panda's childish antics.

"Calm down, Po," he teased with a laugh, "it can't have been that long since you last saw your friends?" Po stopped momentarily looking to his friend who continued his pace ahead of the others alongside Han and the Wu Sisters.

"Buddy," Po began in a exasperated tone, "I haven't seen them since I kicked Kai's butt back to the Spirit Realm, and that was almost a year ago." Chang's eyebrows raised upon hearing this, but he still maintained his smile before wrapping his arm around Po's shoulder.

"Well then," he began to respond, "I am sure they will be just as happy to see you again after all of this time. I know I was when you arrived at the Palace." Po returned the embrace Chang had given, pulling Chang tight against his side as the two shared a brotherly laugh. However, this camaraderie seemed to confuse Long Chi, who was leading the two-by-two formation of 6 water deer and four wolves, as he had only just met the panda a few days prior.

"Excuse me Captain," Long called forward, catching his superiors attention, "but how is it you became acquainted with Dragon Master Po?" Upon hearing the question, Chang quickly remembered that Long was only eighteen, and had only been in the army for a year.

"That's right Long," Chang answered, looking back at the young tiger after pulling away from Po, "you were not part of the army at that time." Turning his attention forward as they continued to walk, Chang began to explain. "I have known Po since the Battle of Gongmen City. After Lord Shen's defeat, the Eighth was called in to help restore order and route out any stragglers from Shen's Army, where Han and I became acquainted with the 'ever charismatic Dragon Warrior.'" Po cast Chang a less-than-amused frown, earning a round of chuckles from the others, save for Ox who continued to focus all of his attention on the Wu Sister's, his distrust apparent as ever. The others, however didn't seem to notice.

"And by charismatic," Hu added in, "Chang means Po is quite the whiner." Apart from Han and Chang, a few of the more experienced soldiers in formation chuckled at what the medic was getting at, all while Po maintained his displeased expression. "I swear, I have had amputees who did not cry as much as Po when all I did was clean his wounds." Wan, upon hearing this, pressed her hand tight to her mouth to suppress her laughter, all while Wan and Su rolled their eyes, but couldn't help but smile at Po's misery. But, eventually, Su decided to relieve Po of his suffering.

"Well just so you know, Hu," she began, bringing everyone's attention to her, "some girls actually like a guy who has a sensitive side...and vice-versa." To add emphasis to her point, Su intertwined her arm with Han's leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked, resulting in Han nuzzling his cheek atop her head. The tender scene actually succeeded in lifting Po's spirits, but also reminded him of his own feelings for a certain tiger master. Ox, on the other hand, just scowled at the display, unaware that his colleague Master Croc gave a small smile along with the others in the group.

"I wouldn't actually call Po 'sensitive' in that regard, Su," Hu responded, "more like 'cry-baby.'" Save for Ox, this actually resulted in a chorus of laughter from everyone around. Even Po couldn't help but join in as he learned long ago to laugh at himself.

* * *

**Huibei Volcano, Earlier That Morning**

* * *

"Wakey, Wakey, Shi Long," Mu Lang cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice, causing said reptile to inwardly cringe as she was hauled to her feet by the demented wolf, who upon doing so wasted no time in pushing her captive out of her cell, flanked by two terra cotta warriors.

"Where are you taking me?" Shi Long asked worriedly, her fear growing with every second she was in this God-forsaken volcano. Mu Lang, catching on to said fear, smirked wickedly as she stepped close to Shi Log's face.

"We are going to a party," Mu Lang whispered, sending chills down Shi Long's spine, "where you will help us welcome a very special guest." Shi Long dreaded to think who this guest was. But from what she had heard from Mu Lang and Baigujing's rather loud conversations, it had something to do with a so-called "Spirit Urn."

After a few minutes of walking, Shi Long found herself once again being escorted into the main hall of the fortress, which was lined all around with what appeared to be a battalion's worth of terra cotta warriors. Unfortunately, Shi long had little time to take it in before she was roughly forced to her knees, the bare scales making contact with the hot floor thanks to the bottom half of her robe being torn away from her captors rough treatment of her.

"I am so glad you could join us child," the chillingly familiar voice mocked as Shi Long's fearful gaze fell on the bat that was a mere shadow of her true self. "You are about to witness the start of my greatest triumph. But off course, we must wait for our other guests. Mu Lang?" Turning her attention to said wolf, the bat was met with a sinister smile.

"They are on their way, master," she confirmed, baring her fangs as she grinned, "our loyal informant sent word once they departed." Baigujing chuckled evilly at this news.

"The fools," she laughed, "they should know by now to be weary of the company they keep."

* * *

**City of Jinzhou, Mid-Afternoon**

* * *

To the rescue parties surprise, they reached Jinzhou ahead of schedule, which meant that the sooner they met up with the Five, the sooner they could make their way to the Huibei volcano. Sending the small contingent , minus Long, to the other side of the city to establish a rendezvous point, the remainder of the party walked into a crowded market square, with many paying the newcomers no mind.

"So where are they?" Chang inquired, scanning the densely populated area before turning to Han. "You did say you sent Xinshi ahead to inform the Five of our departure?" Han merely rolled his eyes as stepped toward his captain, leaving behind Su and her sisters, who at this point where sporting their hoods in order to draw less attention to themselves, as they were still considered criminals in the eyes of the public.

"I did Chang," he said, placing a hand on the younger buck's shoulder, "and I happened to see her circling over head before we arrived, so just relax."

"Yeah ya big baby, relax," a familiar female voice sounded from above. Looking up, Han smiled while Chang rolled his eyes at their messenger hawk who was perched at the edge of a roof of a fruit cart, a smug grin on her face. Holding out his arm, Han waited for Xin to swoop down and land gracefully on the offered limb before speaking.

"Are they hear?" he inquired, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"You would know if you turned around," a much older, gruff voice interrupted, a hint of amusement laced in it. A smile slowly crept onto Han's face as he and the group turned to meet smug smile of an elderly red panda in red robes, flanked by a crane clad in a pair of blue short and head adorned with a straw hat, a green tree viper, a golden monkey clad in brown pants, a green praying mantis, and a tiger clad in a golden hanfu with red leaf patterns and black trousers.

"Hello Shifu," Han greeted warmly, "my old friend." Shifu returned the smile, but, before anyone else the group could react, Po ran forward to envelope the group in a tight embrace, save for Shifu who stepped away just in time.

"IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE YOU GUYS!" Po exclaimed as he used his surprising strength to lift the Furious Five up and twirl them around.

"It's nice to see you too Po," Tigress responded after the excited Panda had put them down. But, as soon as she turned with the others to the rest of Po's group, Tigress froze when her eyes, now as wide as hen's eggs, laid upon a remarkable sight; a young male tiger in military garb, his blue eyes just as wide as hers when he first noticed her.

Noticing his adopted daughter's reaction, Shifu knew immediately how strange it was for Tigress to meet another tiger, especially since she had not encountered one since her parents abandoned her as an infant. Clearing his throat, Shifu succeeded in gaining the young tiger's attention.

"And what might your name be, young tiger?" he inquired with a smile, prompting the young feline to snap to attention, offering a crisp salute on response.

"Lieutenant Long Chi," Long responded before Shifu gestured for him to relax, which he did. "It is an honor, Master Shifu," Long finished before offering a small bow, which Shifu gladly returned. Unfortunately, the resident bovine of the group was getting rather antsy.

"Yes, well," Ox began impatiently, "if we have gotten all the pleasantries out of the way, we must get under way." Narrowing his eyes at the rather rude bovine, Chang found himself clenching his fists in an attempt to keep himself from delivering a right-hook to Ox's face. Han also found himself frowning at Ox, which did not go unnoticed by his lover, who at this point decided to defuse the tension.

"While I hate to admit it," she began between clenched teeth, causing everyone's attention to turn to her, "Ox is right." This certainly caught the other's by surprise. Su Wu, agreeing with Master Ox? Before anyone could even voice their amazement, Wing stepped forward, realizing what her sister was getting at.

"Every second we waste here gives Baigujing the advantage," she reasoned. After taking a moment to think it over, Chang realized the sisters were right; time was a luxury that they could not afford at the moment. Letting out a sigh, Han addressed the group.

"Alright then," he mumbled out, "let's get moving." But as the group began to move to rejoin the contingent of soldiers, Mu Lang, standing in a nearby alley, watched them depart with great interest. And just as the group was nearly out of sight, her "loyal informant" turned to briefly make eye contact with her, giving a small nod, which the wolf returned, a demented smile forming on her face as she left to inform her master.

After regrouping with the contingent at the outskirts of the city, the group began their long trek toward the Huibei Volcano, with Han sending Xinshi back to the Forbidden City with news of their progress. Even though the sinister mountain was still a good few miles away, Wan couldn't help but shudder at all the memories that came flooding back to her. But luckily, she relaxed as she felt Han place a comforting hand on her shoulder before moving on, her worries placated for the time being.

* * *

At around early evening, Han and Chang decided it was best to stop to rest for a while, against the protests of a very irritated Master Ox. Master Croc on the other hand, couldn't agree more that a rest was much needed, especially since they were barely halfway to their destination.

As Chang and Hu gathered wood and kindling to make a fire, Long stepped away with a few others to create a perimeter around the temporary camp. Eventually, Long came across the truck of tree that appeared to have been recently cut down by some log men. Take a seat, Long breathed in the crisp evening air as his gaze traveled to their destination, which filled him with unexplained dread. Hearing footsteps approaching him, Long turned in time to see Tigress offer him an apple, which he accepted with a smile.

"Thank you, Master Tigress," he said before taking a large bite out of the fruit.

"Just Tigress is fine," the female responded with a smile, taking a seat beside the younger male. They sat together in silence for about five minutes, before Tigress turned to Long with a question that had be burning in her mind since she first saw him. Unfortunately, just as she opened her mouth to speak, Long, as if he knew what she was about say, cut her off.

"No," he said abruptly, "it's just been me. I've never seen another tiger since I was a kid, when my folks died. That is until you." Upon hearing this, Tigress's ears flattened against her head as she saw Long lower his, a sorrowful expression on his face.

"I am so sorry," Tigress said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Without looking, Long reached across his chest to rest his hand on Tigress's, a small smile forming on his lips as he finally turned to meet her gaze.

"You didn't know," he said after a few moments. "Besides, I understand...to want to belong. I wanted that for so long after mom and dad died. I was ten when it happened. And I had no family or close kin in that part of the country, so I just lit on out of there. Took odd jobs in that time. But, because I was different, in other words a TIGER, I tended to outstay my welcome pretty quickly." Taking this into account, Tigress lowered her head in thought.

"I DO understand what that's like," she finally said, causing Long's ears to perk in interest. "I was abandoned as a cub at an orphanage. For years I tried to make friends, but they were all so afraid of me because of who I was. That is until..." a smile began to form on Tigress's face as she recounted the happiest moment of her childhood, "... until Shifu found me and too me to the Jade Palace...the one place I knew I could call home."

Looking behind her, Tigress smiled warmly at her friends, master and father, and the panda who had burrowed a special place in her heart. But soon, her gaze passed over Han, then Chang, then the other soldiers before it found it's way back to Long.

"And I think you have found the place you can call home." Looking back to his compatriots, Long allowed the small smile on his face to grow before he felt Tigress take her hand off of his shoulder before gently grasping his. At first taken back by the gesture, Long eventually relaxed as he returned the smile that Tigress gave him.

Meanwhile, back at the now blazing fire, Wan was distributing rations to the others as they settled around the fire. Crane flew ahead to scout the territory. Viper had draped her body over her old friend Hu's shoulders, the buck actually enjoying the weight. Monkey sat nearby with Mantis sitting on one of his shoulders, while Shifu and Croc sat on either side of Po. Wing and Su had also found a spot on either side of Han. Meanwhile, Ox leaned against nearby tree, his hateful eyes staring down the leopard siblings who didn't seem to notice or care, all while Chang stood beside Han and the two eldest sisters.

In that time, many of the soldiers in the group, after an inquiry from Wing, recounted what they did before, or what they planned to do after the army.

"Well," Hu started, "I was a doctor in my village. But when there was massive demand for medics in the army, I decided to enlist." Han, with a proud smile, spoke next.

"I'm forty-five, I'm an old man," he said with a chuckle, earning some chuckles from the group as well, "but I've been in the army since I was seventeen, known no other way of life. Leave it at that." Soon, all eyes turned to Chang, who actually seemed to shrink under the many stares.

"Come on Chang, spill it," Wing egged on, earning a round of chuckles from the others, save for Ox. Letting out a defeated sigh, Chang finally spoke.

"I've been in the army since I was thirteen," he began, causing everyone's eyes to go wide in surprise. "I started as a dispatch runner, much to my parents' displeasure. I was finally able to enlist in regular infantry when I turned seventeen. After that, I found myself traveling to many places...and can I tell something!" Even though it was rhetorical, the group simply nodded for him to continue.

"In all my life," Chang continued, "I never thought I would find such enjoyment in something as mundane as architecture. More specifically facades. Han will tell you as I told him, that when I was sent to fetch Huifang from the Plum Blossom temple, I was absolutely enamored with the design. Simple, but elegant."

"He wouldn't stop raving about it for a week," Hu chipped in, causing the other soldiers to chuckle. Rolling his eyes at Hu, Chang brushed off the interruption as he continue to speak.

"I don't intend to make the army a full-blown career," he admitted, "but when the time comes that I leave, that's what I want to do."

"If that is your destiny," Shifu added in, "then that is the path you will take." Upon hearing this, Chang smiled at Shifu, who returned the smile. At that point, Wan had finished distributing the rations, and as she went to sit with her sisters and Han, she decided to inquire tot eh older buck a question that had come to her mind.

"So Han," Wan said, "how is it you and the guys know the Furious Five? I mean, I know how you met Po, but something tells me you've known the Five for some time." Upon hearing this, Han couldn't help the teasing smile that formed on his lips.

"I should have remembered that there is no fooling you Wan," he chuckled, causing the youngest Wu Sister to blush, which was easily noticeable since she did not have her mask over her face. Chuckling a bit at the feline's reaction, Han leaned forward as he continued to speak. "Chang, Hu, and I have known the Five for quite some time. In fact, we first met them just around the time that had first come together." Po obviously liked the sound of that.

"Really?" he inquired in a high pitched voice, causing Shifu to roll his eyes at the panda's response. Han, on the other hand, found it quite humorous as he chuckled warmly at Po's reaction. Catching on to his little faux-pa, Po smiled sheepishly as he leaned in closer. "So how DID you meet?" he inquired earnestly. Upon being asked, Han's smile slowly fell into one of sorrow as he answered.

"The Battle of Weeping River." In an instant, almost every master and soldier demeanor changed to one of sorrow. All except for Long, who had rejoined the group along with Tigress, who also appeared saddened at the mention of a battle she had hoped to forget.

"I've heard of that battle before," Long said, a clear look of recollection on his face, "but I'm afraid I know very little about it." Looking to Long, Chang, who had been standing just behind Han, let out a long sigh as he closed his eyes in remembrance.

"The Battle of Weeping River was one of the army's most devastating loses," he began, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke. "The Eighth was called in to push back hoards of invading Dzunagar forces. We underestimated the enemy's skill and were quickly overwhelmed one-thousand to one. Luckily the Five arrived and pushed the Dzungars back to some degree, allowing us ample time to retreat with our wounded and dead."

"Why bother with the wounded and dead at that point?" Ox abruptly interrupted, earning him a shocked expression from Croc and the others, and one of clear rage from Hu. But luckily, just as Hu was about to stand against the insensitive bovine, Han pressed down on his shoulder to keep him seated as he addressed Ox.

"No man left behind," he said defiantly. "While my duty is to protect China, my duty is also to protect my men." At this point, every member of the small contingent began to circle around the camp as they listened to their general.

"At every engagement I am the first person to step onto that field of battle, and I am the last one to step off. And dead or alive, we all come home together." With that said, every soldier present smiled, their chests swelling with pride at the knowledge that their general held them in such high regards. Hu himself stood to stand beside Han along with Chang and Su, sending Ox a defiant smirk as he did so. Ox's eyes seemed to soften a bit, only to harden within a second.

"You may not have that choice in the coming hours...General." And while Han hated to admit it, Ox was right.

* * *

Late into the evening, the group finally arrived at the base of the Huibei Volcano. And of course, Ox and Croc did not like the idea of scaling the mountainside again for the first time in twenty years.

"Ugh," Croc groaned, "hear we go again." Upon hearing this, the Wu Sisters sent each other knowing smirks as Wing stepped toward a nearby alcove hidden in the shadows. Watching with intrigue, the remainder of the group followed close behind. Taking a lantern from one of the soldiers, Wing continued to walk into the alcove, the light from the lantern slowly revealing the entrance to a narrow passageway. Looking back toward a wide-eyed Croc, Wing flashed a teasing smile before taking a step forward, only to be stopped by Ox.

"What makes you think we will follow you?" he asked in a low growl.

"Unless you want to fall victim to one of our old traps," Su butted in before shoving her way past the fuming Ox, "you have no choice, MASTER." Ox snorted indignantly at the disrespectful use of is title, a clear form of retaliation for his same use of Han's title as general. Before following the three sisters into the tunnel, Han ordered three of his men to stay behind with Viper, Mantis, Crane, Monkey and Shifu as a means of security. With everything in place, the remainder of the party trailed the Wu Sisters, unaware of the deadly endeavor, and utter betrayal to come.

* * *

"Master," Mu Lang called as she approached the throne in the main chamber of the fortress, bowing as soon as she reached it, "our guests have arrived." With a sickening chuckle, the demented bat turned to face her subordinate.

"Wonderful," she cackled, "give them a warm welcome and show them in."

* * *

Slowly but surely, the group made their way deeper into the dark and foreboding tunnels that lead into the fortress. Every so often, they would come to a fork in their path, which Su was able to successfully navigate. Along the way, the group would come across many of the Fortress's many aforementioned traps. Wan was actually just in time to save Hu from being sliced in half by a large blade that fell from the tunnel ceiling. So far, everything had been going according to plan, and Chang's faith and trust in the Wu Sisters was growing by the second. But, he still could not shake the feeling that something was off about a certain member of their party. But, before he could dwell too much on that aspect, he was pulled from is thoughts by Hu, only just barely being able to comprehend that the medic was speaking to him.

"What was that Hu?" the Captain inquired of the medic. Clearing his throat to speak once again, Han inclined his chin toward the youngest Wu Sister.

"I said that Wan," he began hesitantly, "she's...not so bad, I suppose." Catching onto to what Hu was implying, Chang flashed a teasing smile toward his friend.

"I think she might be a little too old for you, Hu," Chang silently teased, earning an elbow from Hu who offered a rebuttal.

"Only by three years, smart-ass." This statement actually caught Chang off guard, as he had thought Hu to be, by outward appearance, in his mid-twenties.

"You're thirty-five years old?" Chang asked incredulously, looking the buck up and down as the latter flashed a cocky smile toward his younger colleague, who merely shook his head as he focused he wide eyes forward. "You look great."

"STOP!" Su harshly whispered as she held up her hand, her wide eyes and twitching ears a clear indication that her senses had caught on to something. At this point, Tigress had caught onto it, too, with Po joining her in a defensive stance. Looking between the two felines, who were now joined in their alertness by the other two Wu Sisters, Han cautiously stepped closer to his lover as his own eyes strained to see what they were seeing.

"What is it, Su," he whispered as he looked to said leopard, who's attention suddenly focused on something ahead, or rather, someone. Following Su's gaze, Han froze when he saw the light of a wall-mounted torch dimly illuminate the form a dark-furred wolf, her orange eyes made even more terrifying by the glow of the flame. Eyes widening in realization, Long leaned toward Chang as the seven soldiers that accompanied them into the cave leveled there muskets at the wolf.

"Is that her, Captain?" Long inquired, only receiving a nod in confirmation, said Captain never once taking his narrowing eyes off of Mu Lang, whose own eyes took on a mischievous twinkle as she flashed a sultry smile.

"My, My Chang," she cooed in a sickening purr, "you certainly have grown into quite the stud, haven't you?" Chang quickly took on a look of disgust as he glared daggers at the demented wolf.

"Surrender Mu Lang!" Chang called as he stepped forward so that he was now beside Han, "You have nowhere left to run!" After a moment, Chang's skin crawled as he watched the obviously lustful wolf lick her lips.

"We shall see, Chang," Mu Lang quipped back before turning tail and running down the tunnel, her form quickly disappearing into the shadows as she did so. At that moment, Chang had to stop Long and a few of the other soldiers from charging after the retreating wolf.

"No," he said, placing a hand on Long's chest in order to keep the young tiger in place, "that's just what she wants."

"Chang's right," Po added in, "Tigress can tell you that I myself have leaped before I looked, as impossible as it may sound." Tigress merely rolled her eyes at Po's statement, the panda's ego once again coming to the forefront, as evident by his proud smile. However, there was no time for levity at the moment, as Chang very well knew. Looking to Han, the two shared a knowing look, silently agreeing on the next course of action.

"Jiang, Shibing," Chang addressed two bucks in the contingent who quickly snapped to attention, "run back to the others. We may need them for what's coming."

"Yes Sir!" both responded quickly as they turned back the way they came, leaving the remainder of the group to contemplate their next course of action.

* * *

"I don't like this place," Jiang murmured to Shibing, his deep bass voice resonating off the dimly lit walls of the tunnel as they entered a spacious anti-chamber, "Gives me the creeps." The other buck could not agree more.

"Well," the other buck began to respond, "the quicker we get moving, the quicker we can get out of hear." Suddenly, the sound of footsteps could be heard from behind them, making the two bucks do a double-take to see if they were being followed. After a few moments, the two looked nervously at each other.

"P-probably the wind just playing tricks on us," Jiang suggested, earning a nervous nod from his fellow soldier. But, just as they turned to continue on their way, the duo were suddenly met by the nightmarish sight of a terra cotta warrior, who swiftly picked Jiang up by the neck, prompting a terrified Shibing to attempt to pry his friend from the demon warriors grip.

"DROP HIM!" he shouted, only to be suddenly pulled by back by two pairs of arms. Pulling himself free, Shibing soon found himself being forced back into one of the chamber's corners, his eyes widening in horror as the stone warriors bore down on him, his screams joining Jiang's as the sound traveled to the others, who quickly rushed to their colleagues aid. Unfortunately, when they arrived in the chamber, they were met with a grisly site; Jiang and Shibing's bodies splayed out on the floor. Running to the prone bodies, Hu quickly knelt down as he checked there pulses. Letting out a sad sigh, Hu turned to the others.

"They're dead." At that moment, a sickening laugh filled the chamber as Mu Lang stepped out of the shadows, flanked on either side by a terra cotta warrior, both raising their arms as they shot a beam of dark energy from their palms, hitting a section of wall. the wall blasted apart, large fragments killing two other soldiers, one having his skull busted open and the other with a large piece of rock sticking out of his back, as Mu Lang and the two terra cotta warriors began to retreat. At that moment, a deep rage burned within Long as he and the remaining soldiers charged after Mu Lang.

"LONG WAIT!" Tigress called as the remainder of the group followed the advancing soldiers. As they rounded a corner, the group witnessed a soldier taking down by a blast of energy, his body falling like a marionette cut from it's strings. Soon, two more screams sounded from further ahead.

"WATCH OUT!" Long's voice called, followed by the sound of the last soldier being hit, a load yelp echoing through the tunnel. Then came the sound that made the group's hearts sink; the scream of a young tiger. Coming upon the area the sound came from, The Wu Sister's eyes widened as they entered the main chamber of the fortress. Sadly, the only difference to the chamber, were the two soldiers lying in a pool of their own blood. Chang's eyes widened as he, Han, Hu, and Tigress rushed toward Long, a scorched hole in his chest from where he had been blasted.

"Long," Tigress whispered as she cradled the young tiger's head in her lap as Hu rushed to tend to his injuries. Turning his head weakly to look at Chang, shakily raise his arm as he did so. Taking the hint of what the young soldier wanted, Chang took the quivering hand in both of his.

"For-forgive me," Long gasped out as his eyes began to flutter shut, "Captain." The last part was said in a whisper as Chang felt Long's hand go limp, his eyes closing for the last time.

Long Chi was dead.

Behind the group, Su was rejoined by Han, a stray tear falling down his cheek as she buried her face into his chest. Wan, at this point, was crying into Wing's shoulder, the latter struggling to keep her own tears in check. Croc was even mourning, bowing his head in respect to the young soldier who had died doing his duty. Ox, on the other hand, merely stepped past the group.

"Stupid boy," he sneered as he stepped past Chang and the others toward the alter at the head of the chamber. Looking on in shock, the group were left utterly confused as Ox bowed to one knee.

"I have brought them as you have instructed," Ox said humbly, causing everyone's eyes to widen in horror as a blue-eyed bat descended from the ceiling, "Lady Baigujing." At that moment, Mu Lang emerged from behind the stone throne, a captive Shi Long close beside her, followed closely by volumes of terra cotta warriors, who slowly encircled the remained of the rescue party. Once they were surrounded, the group turned toward the demonic bat as she chuckled evilly.

"Welcome my friends, to your doom, " the demonic bat chuckled evilly as she cast her eyes down at Ox, whose own gaze continued to remain on the hard rock floor. Spreading her wings, the demonic bat gliding toward Ox, landing on a step that left her just a head taller than him. Extending one of her wings, Baigujing gently brought Ox's face up to meet hers, a face that seemed to express satisfaction.

"You have done well, my loyal informant," she chuckled, her demented smile rivaling that of Mu Lang as the latter shoved Shi long forward, earning a grunt of discomfort from the captive lizard. Meanwhile, Ox's lips turned upward in a humble smile as he once again bowed his head toward Baigujing.

"Thank you, Lady Baigujing," he said softy, the gentle inflection a great juxtaposition to the outburst that followed from Chang, who at this point was being held back by Han and Su as he had drawn his pistol, having prepared to fire it at Ox.

"YOU TRAITOROUS BASTARD!" Chang screamed at the top of his lungs, tears of sorrow over the loss of Long now combined with fresh tears of rage streaming down his cheeks. At this point Po had pried Chang's pistol from his grip, the young buck calming down upon seeing the pleading look in his friend's eyes. Ox, upon hearing the outburst, calmly turned toward Chang, an indifferent expression on his face as he let out a snort, his nostrils flaring as he did so.

"Traitor, Captain?" Ox inquired, calmly walking back toward the group. Tigress, having gently placed Long's head on the stone floor after Hu decided nothing could be done to save the young tiger, rose to her feet with the medic, glaring daggers at Ox along with the others as the latter continued to speak. "The way I see it, you and your compatriots are the traitors. Waging war, spreading violence and destruction. And for what?" As Ox spoke, he found himself just ten feet from Chang, the young buck unable to do anything but seethe in anger.

"We fight for freedom," Han quietly growled, only to be met with a strong round of laughter from Ox, growing in volume with the sinister cackles of Baigujing and Mu Lang. The obviously mocking laughter did little to quell the groups anger as Ox calmed down enough to continue to speak.

"So freedom and peace require fear and death?" he questioned, his large smile transforming quickly into a disapproving scowl. "I hope you realize, Han, how hypocritical you sound. In your pursuit of freedom for the people of China, you subjugate your enemies in order to do so. And IN doing so, you fail to win the hearts and minds of our enemies, the true means by which peace can be attained."

"If you truly believe that Ox," Su interjected, her eyes casting a disapproving glare at Ox, "then you would know that Han is nothing like that."

"And how is that?" Ox sneered at the leopard and her sisters, who at this point where backing her.

"Because he won OUR hearts and minds," Wing answered, her head held high in confidence as she and Wan joined Su in by Han's side, the older buck giving them each a gentle smile of gratitude. Their smiles quickly fell when Ox let out a huff of amusement.

"What makes you think I give a damn about you and your sisters?" Ox replied in a harsh whisper. "Your past crimes are beyond measure. You can fight a thousand wars for China, and it will never be enough to expunge all that YOU have done."

"And what about what you have done?" Chang inquired in an equally harsh whisper. Standing to his full height, Ox let out a sad sigh as he turned toward Chang.

"What I have done," Ox began, turning his back tot the group as he went to rejoin Baigujing, "has been for the betterment of not only China, but the world." This seemed to greatly unnerve the group, as they did not like what Ox was insinuating.

"What do you mean?" Po inquired, taking a cautious step forward, only to take a step back as a terra cotta warrior leveled a spear at his neck, making the panda gulp nervously. Looking back to Po, Ox let out a sigh as he answered.

"You have heard of 'the lesser of two evils?'" Ox inquired. "Well Lady Baigujing is just that, only she is the lesser of many evils that may come." This statement did not sit well with Po and the others, who became very uneasy at what Ox was saying. However, Tigress managed to catch onto something that piqued her interest.

"That MAY come?"

"Yes," Mu Lang quickly interjected, a cruel smile still plastered on her face, "Master Ox had explained to my master that he had been having dreams...visions of many rulers seizing absolute power."

"So we made an arrangement," Baigujing interrupted, her smile ever widening. "He helps me take control of China, and I help him stop the current course of history."

"The course of history?" Chang inquired, clear confusion on his face.

"Yes," Ox began to clarify. "Many of these rulers will not exist until after our lifetime. But in theirs, the amount of blood on their hands combined will amount to millions of lost souls. That is why Lady Baigujing has agreed to help me."

"Evil serves nobody but itself." All eyes quickly turned to Shi Long, the komodo dragon now standing to almost as full of her height as her injuries, and Mu Lang will let her. "I should know." That last part was said with a venomous tone as the lizard glared daggers at her former ally who merely smirked in response. Looking to Ox, Shi Long's eyes quickly softened as she attempted to plead with the bovine master. "She is playing you for a fool, Ox," Shi Long whispered, "once she gets whats he wants, she will crush you...just as she nearly did me."

For a moment, it seemed as though Ox was contemplating what Shi Long was saying. In fact, it almost appeared as if he were really being swayed by her words. Unfortunately, it turned out to be to good to be true. Letting out a dejected sigh, Ox turned to Shi Long, a stray tear falling down his cheek as he spoke.

"I'm afraid I have already done what I must."

"Yes," Baigujing hissed out in satisfaction as she looked upon Ox, "and in doing so you shall gain what you seek. And with my renewed power, it shall come easy." This did not sit well with the others who began to shuffle their feet uncomfortably.

"I don't like the sound of that," Po mumbled to Tigress, who, at this point, had dropped her usually hardcore demeanor, her usually stoic expression changing into one of worry just as Baigujing raised her wings above her head.

"My loyal followers!" she bellowed causing several of the terra cotta warriors to turn and bow to her, "The time has come! Bring forth the Spirit Urn!" Upon hearing this, Po's eyes went wide as he saw two warriors come forward, presenting the gold decorated teal urn to their master.

"HOW?!" he practically scream, which only amused the demonic bat as she stepped toward the seemingly trivial piece of pottery.

"After the destruction of the Wellspring," Baigujing began, "the chi that flowed through it was spread to every corner of the world. But, I had learned that the power unleashed allowed the Spirit Urn to be released from it's confines within. And now..." Baigujing paused briefly to let out a cruel chuckle, "...with the Chi of the original Dragon Master, I shall achieve ultimate power!"

"I think she's going to get what she wants," Po whispered to the others, "but not in the way she wants it." With that in mind, Han and the others returned their attention on Baigujing as she reached for the Spirit Urn, slowly removing the top. As she did so, great amounts of energy slowly began to seep from the now open urn, a great, resonating thrum echoing around the chamber, joining in with the bubbling magma.

"Tell me General," Baigujing said to Han, her wings spread wide as she prepared for her return to power, "do you believe in absolute power?"

"Oh," Han began, wearily nodding his head, "I believe sister...that's why I'm staying down hear." Just moments after Han gave his answer, a great a noise filled the chamber as a great surge of energy exploding from the urn, followed by a deep, booming laugh that Po recognized all too well.

"Here he comes," Po whispered, his eyes wide in abstract horror at what he beheld next. Within seconds, the Spirit Urn was reduced to shards, resulting in a blinding light caused by the amount of chi released. Quickly regaining their sight, the infiltration team retrained their eyes on where the urn should be, only to find to their respective horror, the image of a large, red, serpentine dragon;

Former Dragon Master Jindiao.

"At last," Baigujing whispered as she began to approach Jindiao, who at this point had turned upon hearing her voice, "with your Chi I shall finally return to my rightful place in the universe." Looking hard at the small bat for a moment, Jindiao's scowl slowly began to form into a cruel smile, one that actually started to make the demonic bat feel uneasy. Soon, the chamber was filled with his booming laughter as he reached down, piking the bat up by the collar of her robes. Bringing the bat up to his face, Jindiao squinted his yellow eyes at her, eyes that soon began to glow an unearthly jade green. After another moment, Jindiao began to laugh evilly at the now terrified bat.

"You?" he inquired mockingly. "Why, you barely have the power to take my chi." At that moment, Han and the other's could see that the terra cotta warriors were distracted by the exchange going on. Even Mu Lang was distracted, her orange eyes wide in concern as she saw her master dangling from the claws of the being that was meant to restore her power. Taking advantage of this distraction, Shi Long managed to run toward the others, letting out a sigh of relief as she found herself in Han's embrace. Looking down at the tear filled eyes of the lizard in his arms, Han offered as comforting a smile as he could.

"We're going to get you out hear and back to Huifang...alright?" Even though her body was shuttering from the emotional strain she was under, Shi long returned the smile as Han began to undo the ropes that bound her wrists behind her back.

"NO!" The groups attention was suddenly brought back toward the exchange that was happening at the altar as Baigujing's eyes widened in terror, which gave Shi Long a strong feeling of deja-vu. "YOU WERE TO GIVE ME YOUR CHI! YOU WERE TO RESTORE MY POWER!" Once again, Jindiao's booming laugh filled the chamber as he brought Baigujing closer to his face.

"Well then you thought wrong, didn't you?" He mockingly inquired, squinting his eyes once again. "besides, I have see the chi in you, and I must say it looks..." Jindiao paused as he hungrily licked his lips, "...delectable." What happened next made every living thing the chamber shudder; Jindiao, with a deep inhale, began to extract the chi from within Baigujing. But not just the chi, but also her life force as well. Within seconds, Baigujing's small body began to shrivel up as she appeared to age centuries in an instant. Before long, she was a husk of what she initially was, her pale eyes rolled back into her head as Jindiao relished the feeling her chi gave him.

"Yessss," he hissed in satisfaction, "Truly delectable." Staring at the body that hanged from his claws, Jindiao merely snorted in boredom as he discarded the remains into the magma beside him, the shriveled body vanishing instantly in a puff of smoke and ash. Turning back to the altar, Jindiao looked down to see the trembling form of Mu-Lang. "And what might your name be, my dear?" he inquired in a sickeningly sweet voice. Quickly falling to her knees, Mu Lang answered.

"I am Mu Lang," she said in a trembling voice, "y-your humble servant." Upon hearing this, Jindiao smiled a broad smile as he used one of his large claws to bring Mu Lang's head up to meet his gaze. After taking a moment to look over the wolf, the dragon let out a hum of content.

"You will do," he said, only for his attention to suddenly be brought to the bovine standing nearby, a look of abstract horror on his face. "Ah," he breathed out in recollection, "Master Ox. How the mighty have fallen. But I suppose your intentions were honorable, even if they amounted to nothing in the end." At that moment, Ox found he couldn't breath, as if an invisible force was wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply.

"We need to do something," Croc whispered to the others, unwilling to let his old friend die, even if he had betrayed them.

"There's nothing we can do," Han responded with a sad sigh.

"That's what you think," Po added with a wicked smile. Before anyone could stop him, Po launched a massive blast of chi toward Jindiao, effectively knocking the massive dragon back against the altar wall. Stunned at first, Jindiao quickly regained his bearings as he quickly began to search for the source of the blast. And when he found it, a wicked smile formed on his lips.

"Dragon Master Po," the dragon growled, never once losing his sinister smile, even as Po stared him down, "it has been along time, old friend."

"It certainly has, gerbil breath," Po growled back, a small smile of his own forming at the teasing reference to when Jindiao took over the body of a lowly vulture. Upon hearing this, Jindiao's smirk turned into a deep frown as he looked to the terra cotta warriors now under his command.

"KILL THEM!" All at once, the terra cotta warriors advanced on the group, spears at the ready. Soon it was an all out brawl as the rescue party began to fight their way past several of the clay warriors. But luckily, they quickly learned an easy trick that gave them an advantage;

If you can't get them in the magma, aim for the head.

Tigress, leaping into the air, managed a dual split kick, effectively shattering two heads, rendering the demons within unable to properly use their earthly "bodies." Po, upon seeing this, smiled like a love struck idiot at Tigress, whose eyes widened upon seeing another warrior approach Po from behind.

"PO!" However, even after all these years, Tigress still underestimated her friend who, without breaking his attention on her, quickly dispatched the warrior by bringing his fist up in a powerful punch, the warrior quickly falling to it's knees before fully toppling over. At this point, Tigress found herself smiling at her friend, if not significantly less idiotically.

Meanwhile, while Shi Long was being covered with their bodies, Han, Chang and Hu, their pistols drawn, each fired at a several warriors, their musket balls managing to shatter the heads of not just one, but several warriors who were unwise to find themselves behind the first. After firing their single shots, each buck drew the swords or daggers they kept on their hips, driving them into any terra cotta warrior that came near them. Unfortunately, with each warrior they took down, more seemed to take their place. Looking toward the surprisingly calm Wu sisters, Hu and Chang could not believe they were just standing there, either yawning or flicking dirt from under their claws.

"YOU'RE FREE TO HELP ANY TIME!" Hu bellowed as he once again drove his dagger into the head of another warrior. Looking to the three leopards, Han allowed a sly smile to form on his lips as he made eye contact with Su, who returned the smile.

"What do you say Su?" he inquired as Su and her sisters stepped forward, the eldest sister, upon reaching Han's side pulled him into a quick, but passionate kiss before answering.

"I'd say what took you so long to ask?" Squaring her sights on the warriors now surrounding them, Su flexed her fingers, her sharps claws popping, her sisters quickly following suit, followed by the three wrapping their tails together. Upon seeing this, Po, Croc, and a recovering Ox's eyes widened at what was about to happen, one in glee, and the other two in horrific deja-vu, respectively.

"You might want to get down," Han told the others who, although confused, quickly complied, for after just one word from Su, all hell broke loose.

"Sisters." In an instant, the Wu Sisters became an unstoppable whirlwind of power as they pulled off their signature move; The Wu-Vortex. Within minutes, a majority of the terra cotta warriors in the chamber were reduced to nothing but shards. But the sisters were far from done. Redirecting their attack, they used all their power to charge toward a stunned Jindiao, who, while being unable to stop the sudden attack, found himself once again flung against the stone altar, effectively disorienting him. Taking advantage of this moment, Han called to the others.

"RETREAT!" And retreat they did, but not before the three sisters stepped toward a stunned Ox.

"You're coming with us," snarled Wing before delivering a savage kick to the bovine's head, effectively knocking him out cold. Grabbing hold of the unconscious master, the sisters quickly followed behind the others, leaving behind a cowering Mu Lang as she hid behind the stone altar during the Wu's attack. Once she was certain the danger had past, the trembling wolf, slowly emerged from her hiding spot. Looking around, the she-wolf marveled at the destruction accomplished by just three former criminals. However, she could not marvel for too long, for she was pulled from her thoughts by a groaning Jindiao. Rushing quickly to her new master's side, Mu Lang began to check to make sure he wasn't too hurt.

"Master Jindiao," she whispered tentatively, only to fall back on her tail as the dragon suddenly lunged at her.

"READY THE REMAINDER OF OUR FORCES!" He bellowed, "WE MARCH FOR THE FORBIDDEN CITY AT DAYBREAK!" Looking toward the direction in which his enemies escaped, Jindiao seethed as he continued to speak in a low voice. "Let the fall of their capital show the people what real power is."

Shifu and the others were quite surprised when they saw only Han, Chang, Hu, Po, Tigress, and the Wu Sisters carrying an unconscious Ox. Slithering forward, Viper approached Han, a sad look in her eyes as she could see the defeated look in his, as he knew what she was going to ask;

Long Chi and the others.

Clenching his eyes shut, Han silently shook his head as a stray tear fell from his eye at the realization that, dead or alive, not all of his men would be coming home. Upon seeing this, Chang placed a comforting hand on his general's shoulder, a gesture gladly received while the remaining three soldiers bowed their heads in remembrance of their fallen comrades. However, the attention quickly shifted to the elephant, or rather, Ox in the room.

"What's happened to master Ox?" Crane inquired, stepping toward the unconscious master, only to be halted by Su who held her hand up.

"Wing knocked him out," Han seethed in a pained whisper, causing every one's eyes to turn toward said leopard.

"Why would you do that?" Shifu asked incredulously, an irked expression his face. Maybe they couldn't trust the Wu Sister's after all.

"Because Ox sided with Baigujing." All eyes were now on a seemingly calm Chang, with those of the remaining soldiers, Shifu and the rest of the Five wide as dinner plates as Chang sat Han down on a nearby rock. "She promised him that he could change the course of history, to stop future tyrants he had seen in visions from killing millions if he agreed to help her." Letting out a sigh, Chang realized he had to tell the others the new threat they now faced.

"Unfortunately, she is the least of our worries now."

"Why do you say that?" Mantis inquired from his perch on Monkey's shoulder. Taking a seat beside Han, Chang reluctantly answered as he looked to the others.

"Because Baigujing is dead...Murdered...by Jindiao." Upon hearing this, Shifu's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull.

"Po," he said in a shocked whisper, "I thought you said you and your students defeated Jindiao with the Spirit Urn."

"We did," Po replied with a sad sigh, "but after the Empress destroyed the Red Jade attained by Baigujing, the Spirit Urn somehow managed to find it's way from the Wellspring back to the mortal realm...that's when SHE found it."

"She thought she could use it to steal Jindiao's chi and regain her power," Shi Long interrupted, "but she didn't account for the fact that Jindiao would be too powerful for her to achieve this."

"Now Jindiao is back," Tigress added in, "and now that he has Baigujing's army under his command, he will stop at nothing to exact his revenge." At that moment, Han had recomposed himself to the point that he felt he could join in with this conversation.

"Jindiao will want an audience for his revenge," he said calmly, Su quickly rushing to his side as he spoke, "He will no doubt target the Forbidden City. Which means everyone their is at risk. CRANE!" Looking to the spindly avian who promptly stood to attention, Han began to relay instructions. "Find Xinshi. The two of you will fly ahead and warn Xiao of what is coming. Along the way, pass word to every settlement from hear to the Capital; ALL-CITIZENS-ARE TO BE-EVACUATED. Understood!"

"Yes General!" Crane promptly responded as he quickly took flight back toward Jinzhou. However, a thought quickly crossed Hu's mind at what Han had just said.

"Sir," he said as he stepped toward Han.

"Yes Hu, what is it?" Han inquired, taking in the uneasy look on his medic's face.

"My village will be right in the path of Jindiao's forces. Please, may I run ahead to personally oversee the evacuation?" Seeing the overall determination in Hu's eyes, Han found he couldn't deny him this request.

"Very well old friend," Han responded with a smile as he placed on hand on Hu's shoulder. "But, Wan will be going with you for...protection." Upon hearing this, Chang, along with Wing, began to snicker as Hu began to blush, the same could be said for Wan, whose mask had be lost in the scuffle in the fortress. Sending Chang a menacing glare, Hu became even more flustered when he saw Han send a wink toward him and Wan as they went ahead of the others. Once they were well out of earshot, Su whispered to Han,

"You're terrible."

"And you love that about me," he responded with a sly smile, a smile that soon feel when he laid eyes of Ox. "Right," he growled, "let's get this TRAITOR back to the capital. And with that, Ox was hoisted up on a makeshift stretcher as the remainder of the soldiers and Croc began to carry him back in the direction of the Forbidden City, followed closely behind by Chang, the Five, Shifu and Po. Looking back to see Su helping a struggling Shi Long to her feet, Han couldn't help but smile warmly at the lizard who had stolen his nieces heart.

"Here," he said as he stepped toward Shi Long, who at this point was crying tears of pain. Much to the reptiles surprise, Han proceeded to pick her up bridal style before he and Su began to catch up with the others. At this point, the physically and emotionally exhausted Shi Long began to nod off, smiling softly at what Han whispered to her before she succumbed to sleep.

"Let's get you home."


	7. Past and Future

**Water Deer Village, Dawn**

* * *

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, LET'S MOVE IT!" Hu hollered at the village inhabitants, a vast majority of them still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes at being roused at such an ungodly hour. Hu and Wan had actually managed to reach the village just before sunrise. Upon arriving, the duo bolted right for his family home. Luckily, Hu's brother Ni was already up as he usually needed to be at his job at the village bank early.

When made aware of the situation, Ni quickly passed word along to the village leaders who, after issuing instructions to the local law enforcement officials, began to muster the villagers, much to the latter half's chagrin. By the time the sun had risen, almost everyone in the village was all set to leave, arms or wagons full of what ever processions they could carry.

"HU!" Ni called as he approached his brother, his wife Ai Chan, clad in a simple blue dress, following close by with their son holding onto her hand while toddling beside her, and their infant daughter cradled in her other arm. Closing the distance between himself and Ni, Hu looked behind the latter to see that all villagers where present and accounted for. But, being as thorough as he was, which he always attributed to his time as a medic, Hu wanted to be sure.

"Is that everyone?" he inquired of his brother, who offered a sad smile in response.

"Yes," Ni replied, leaning down to pick up his son who at this point had moved beside him, tugging on his father's hanfu to get his attention. "Everyone is hear and accounted for." Noticing the sad expression on Ni's face, Wan stepped forward, placing on gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ni," she whispered in a kind voice, "we wouldn't be asking this of you if there was any other way. But I promise, we will have you and the other villagers home before you know it." Looking upon the female leopard that had accompanied his brother, Ni couldn't help but smile at the feline's compassion. In fact, he still couldn't believe she was one of the infamous Wu Sisters that once terrorized China. But, he could dwell on that later, for now, he had more important matters to attend to.

"Thank you Wan," Ni responded with a kind smile, one that was gladly returned as Wan removed her hand from his shoulder. Turning to his wife, Ni gestured for her to follow him, but not before giving his brother one final hug, which was rather difficult with Hu's nephew in his arms, not that the fawn minded as he it gave him the opportunity to wrap his short arms around his Uncle's neck. But while in this position, Ni took the opportunity to whisper a teasing message to his brother.

"She's a keeper." Before a very flustered Hu could respond, Ni pulled away with his son in grasp, quickly turning on his heels as he and his family left to join the others, carrying what little they could on such short notice.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" Hu called to amassed villagers, "HEAD AS FAR SOUTH AS YOU CAN! THE FARTHER YOU ARE FROM ANY SETTLEMENT, THE SAFER YOU WILL BE!" With this in mind, the entire village began their march away from the only home many of them had ever known, but with the promise that they would return in a short amount of time. After about an hour, Hu and Wan could no longer see the mass congregation of villagers as they had moved from the main road deep into the nearby forest. Turning back to the now empty streets, Hu let out a sad sigh at how quiet the village was.

"You okay?" Wan inquired with concern as she saw Hu's dejected face.

"Y-yeah," Hu stuttered after a moment's more of silence, "yeah I'm okay. It's just...I-I...I've never seen these streets so empty, nor heard the air so quiet. It's almost unreal. I know where they are, and I know that they will be safe...but if I didn't, I would have assumed the worst."

Upon hearing this, Wan moved so that she was now in front of Hu. After a moment of hesitation, she cupped both of his cheeks with her hands, a gesture that greatly shocked Hu, but eventually seemed to calm him as he, after another moment, brought both of hands up to grasp Wan's, his eyes closed in content as he leaned into the gesture.

After a few more moments, Hu opened his eyes. And when he did, he was met with the caring yellow eyes of a woman who he, up until they had met, had assumed was a murderous criminal. But now, he could see that Wan was not what he had thought she should be. It actually made him realize that she and her sisters, with Han's help, had turned over a new leaf, and thus had worked to better themselves.

After moments of staring into each other's eyes, Hu and Wan soon felt something within their very being, as if a fire had been lit in their very cores. That must have been the case, for in a flash, the duo found themselves in a deep, passionate kiss, Hu with his arms around Wan's waist, and Wan's finding their way around Hu's neck. Not ten seconds into the kiss, Wan found herself moaning as she found her tongue gently dancing with Hu's, the latter moaning as well as he gently caressed the leopards back.

Unfortunately, the tender moment was interrupted by a rather bothersome hawk.

"Am I interrupting something?" Quickly pulling away from each other, Hu and Wan turned to see the amused smirk of Xinshi, the hawk herself perched on a nearby barrel. With an annoyed expression, Hu, followed by a blushing Wan, stalked angrily toward the smug avian, crossing his arms as soon as he reached her.

"What do you want, Xinshi?" Rolling her eyes playfully, the messenger bird did what she did best; deliver messages.

"I just wanted to let you know that every village has been cleared from Jinzhou to the Forbidden City. The citizens in the capital have been moved to the catacombs." Upon hearing this, Hu found he couldn't be too angry with Xinshi.

"That's...good to hear," he responded, his face softening. However, he quickly took on a look of concern as Xinshi's playful smile soon turned to one of sorrow."What is it?" With a sad sigh, Xinshi answered.

"I was just thinking, it's a good thing we went this route...not one hour after Jinzhou was evacuated, the enemy marched right through, razing anything in their path." Upon hearing this, Hu's eyes widened in shock. Soon, Hu found his gaze slowly wandering over the many buildings in the village, their fate now very apparent.

"I'm so sorry Hu," Wan said as she wrapped her arms around him. Slowly, Hu returned the gesture, a sad smile forming on his face as he responded to Wan.

"Ah," he began, "they're just a bunch of old buildings filled with furniture...nothing that can't be replaced." Wan couldn't help but giggle at the tender kiss that Hu placed on her head. Turning back to Xinshi, who merely rolled her eyes at him, Hu decided to inquire about his other colleagues progress.

"The others?" With a nod, Xinshi responded.

"They will be arriving at the capital within the hour. Once there, they will transfer Ox to a waiting squad from the Eighth, who will then take him to be held at headquarters. While that goes on, Han and the others will return Shi Long to the palace."

"Well then," Hu responded with a broad smile, pulling Wan close to his side, earning a giggle from said feline, "we best get moving if we want to catch up with them."

* * *

**Just Outside the Main Gates of the Forbidden City, Midday**

* * *

To say Ox was unhappy at this point would be an understatement. Just as the group had arrived at the main gates of the city, a contingent of soldiers from the Eighth Regiment, armed with muskets, quickly bound him in accu-pressure cuffs, as well as a steel collar attached to four long chains, each held by a soldier who tugged the bovine along, earning several grunts of disapproval as a result.

As the soldiers, now accompanied by their surviving brothers from the rescue party, lead Ox toward Army headquarters which housed his specially prepared cell, the remainder of the group walked through the streets, the only occupants being soldiers patrolling the otherwise empty streets, muskets at the ready for any trouble. Overhead, overcast skies made the scene seem even more dreary.

"Looks like the boys did a hell of job getting people into the catacombs," Wing commented quietly as the group continued to walk toward the Palace. As they did so, Chang briefly paused when they passed by Li's Tavern, the door wide open as the gentle breeze blowing through the city swung the door on it's hinges. While Chang knew that his father was safe in the catacombs, the sight still gave him an uneasy feeling.

Eventually, Chang was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching the group from behind. Turning in the direction of the noise, the group breathed out a collective sigh of relief as they saw Hu and Wan barreling down the streets, Xinshi gliding close behind them. Su left her place by Han's side, the latter escorting a now fully alert Shi Long, quickly enveloping her sister in tight hug, followed closely behind by Wing.

"Did you get the village evacuated?" Han called back to Hu, who nodded in response. Satisfied with the answer, Han called for the group to keep moving. After another ten minutes of walking, they arrived at the gates leading to the palace courtyard. Nodding to the guards on watch, the gates were opened, only to be quickly closed and bolted as the two guards rushed for the palace. Upon entering the courtyard, the group was surprised to see it just as empty as the streets of the city. However, their attention was soon drawn to Haoxin as she approached them.

"Follow me please," she simply ordered, although with a strong sense of urgency laced within, before leading the group toward the palace.

* * *

Xiao and Jade couldn't help but smile as they watched Huifang pace the floors of the otherwise empty throne room. Truth be told, since they received word from Crane that Shi Long been rescued, Huifang couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep...hell, the only thing keeping her from going insane with worry and excitement at the moment was fiddling with her lucky sea shell, which only added to her worry as it reminded her of her Uncle Han. However, the pacing quickly stopped when the massive doors to the throne room opened. Snapping her head to see the new arrivals, Huifang's face lit up as tears of joy streamed down her face.

"Shi Long, Uncle Han!" She called as she bolted toward the two people she was most anxious to see. Before either the older buck or komodo dragon could respond, they were enveloped in massive hug as Huifang embraced them. Behind them, the Wu Sisters, along with everybody else, couldn't help but smile at the display.

"It's good to see you too Sweet Hui," Han laughed as he pulled away from the embrace, cupping Huifang's face as he used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. After taking a moment to calm herself, Huifang turned to Sh long, only to gasp at the state she was in; gown ripped above the knees, the left sleeve completely gone, and several fresh scars, more than likely received from her time in Mu Lang's custody.

"Oh, Shi Long," Huifang said in a pained whisper. Before Shi Long could protest, Huifang started guiding her away to have her wounds tended to, leaving the remainder of the group in the throne room to address Xiao and Jade Tusk, the latter, despite her better judgement, letting go of all restraint as she jumped into Chang's arms, the captain's breath being briefly knocked out of his lungs before returning the affectionate gesture.

"Well, looks like 'Fangzilla' got herself a boyfriend," a teasing voice called out from the back of the throne room. With an annoyed expression, Jade turned to see the smug smirk of Jing, accompanied by the other members of the Four Constellations.

"Where have you guys been?" Po inquired of his students, or rather three of them, as Nu Hai found herself stunned at being in the presence of Master Shifu and the Furious Five, more specifically, her idol, Master Tigress, who upon noticing the young panda's stare, offered a kind smile.

"We were helping the Palace guards and some men from the Eighth evacuate everyone to the catacombs," Fan Tong answered, his arm being taken by Xiao as he spoke. It was at that moment that the group noticed that Xiao was not dressed in her regal gown, but rather her green training vest and black trousers.

"Well that explains why everything is so quiet," Hu added in. Jade hummed in agreement.

"My girls are the best there are," she said, one of her arms still wrapped around Chang's neck as the latter had an arm around her waist. "And speaking of the best," she continued as looked back to Chang with a smile, "it seems your mission was a success." But, upon saying this, Jade came to regret it as she saw her new boyfriend's face drop into a sorrowful expression.

"More or less," Chang sadly sighed. This succeeded in snapping Nu Hai out of her star-struck stupor, a sorrowful expression of her own forming on her face.

"We heard about Long and the others from Master Crane," she sadly said. "I am so sorry, Captain Li." Looking to Nu Hai, Chang offered a sad smile and a nod in gratitude. The bitter-sweet moment was soon interrupted by Bao.

"And what about Master Ox?" he inquired, quickly being answered by Croc.

"He is being held at Army Headquarters," he responded in a pained whisper. "I still cannot believe he would do this."

"It is hard to grasp that reality my friend," Han added in, "but right now we have more pressing matters to attend to." With a nod, Xiao agreed.

"So what is to be done about Baigujing." Upon hearing this, Han cast a weary gaze toward Crane, who seemed to shrink back in discomfort.

"You didn't tell them?"

"I thought it best that you did." Crane responded in a timid whisper. Looking back toward Xiao, then to Jade, his gaze lingering on the young doe for a few moments, Han let out a deep sigh as he relayed the awful truth.

"Baigujing is dead." Xiao, the constellations, and Jade's eyes grew wide at this news.

"Man, I heard you guys were good," Bao laughed, "but not that good."

"I'm afraid it's more serious than that," Han responded in a serious tone. "After the destruction the well spring, Baigujing's followers managed to find...The Spirit Urn." Looking to Jade and the Constellations, Han could see their eyes widen in abstract horror, their fear growing as he continued to speak. "And she sought to steal the chi of the being trapped within...She underestimate his power...and he killed her."

"No," Jade rasped out, clear panic in her voice, "No! It can't be true...it just can't be." Looking sadly toward Jade, tears of fear now running down her cheeks as Chang held her close, Han realized he had the unfortunate duty of confirming her fears.

"I'm afraid it is...Jindiao had returned." A long period of silence followed, only to be interrupted by Bao.

"Hey," he began, great determination radiating from him, "we beat him last time, we can do it again."

"Last time you had the Spirit Urn," Su interjected, a hard expression on her face, "and when Jindiao was released, the Urn was destroyed."

"Well that complicates things," Jing butted in.

"Indeed," Han added, completely unsure on how they were to defeat Jindiao.

* * *

Shi long winced in discomfort as Huifang tended to her wounds in the confines of the latter's personal chambers. With the vast majority of the palace guards now guarding the citizens in the catacombs, the room was left unattended, save for them. Not that either of them were complaining, as it provided the perfect opportunity for them to be alone.

As Huifang, who had been somewhat distracted upon learning of Jindiao's return, once again dipped the blood stained rag into the wash basin by her side, Shi Long was able to sneak a look at the still very fresh wound on her girlfriends head. Even though it began to heal, Shi Long could still see the deep gash that ran from Huifang's left temple to under her eye. From what Shi Long could see, the scar to come would resemble a crescent moon.

As Shi Long maintained her gaze of Huifang's wound, the latter of the two couldn't help but let her gaze wander over Shi Long's body. Because of the extent of her wounds, Shi Long had to be stripped of her remaining clothes so Huifang could thoroughly clean the many scrapes and bruises along her body. And from what Huifang could see, Shi Long's body, in the does opinion, was that of a goddess. With as much subtlety as possible, Huifang took in the lithe but physically fit figure, the thin but toned legs, the gangling but muscular arms, the round but firm rear, and the two small, but noticeable breasts.

It was at that moment that Shi Long noticed Huifang's wandering eyes, a deep blush creeping up on the reptiles face as she let out a nervous giggle as she tentatively caressed her upper arm. Suddenly, Shi Long let out an involuntary moan, the cause of which being Huifang's ragged hand having found it's way to Shi Long's inner thigh, drifting dangerously close to her forbidden fruit. Upon hearing the low moan from Shi long, Huifang snapped out of her trance, her eyes widening in horror at where her hand was.

"OH MY GOD!" she cried out, promptly removing her hand from Shi long's thigh. "I AM SO SORRY SHI LONG! I DIDN'T MEAN TO...!" Before Huifang could continue on with her rambling, she was silenced by a deep kiss from Shi Long. Slowly calming down from her brief moment of panic, Huifang melted into the kiss as she gently caressed Shi Long's cheek. Not five seconds into the kiss, Huifang's eyes snapped open in surprise as she felt Shi Long's lengthy serpentine tongue snake it's way past her lips and teeth, capturing her own tongue in a raw battle for dominance.

"Mmmm," Huifang moaned as she began wrestling Shi long's tongue with her own, her eyes rolling into the back of her head in pleasure. Being so caught up in the raw passion being displayed in this one kiss, Shi Long didn't care that Huifang's hand was drifting down her toned stomach toward her moistening folds. In an instant, Shi Long let out a high pitched moan of pleasure as Huifang's fingers began to gently trace the lips of her virgin opening, her sweet nectar begin to coat Huifang's palm. Soon, Huifang built up a steady rhythm as she pleasured Shi Long.

As Shi Long relished the feeling of Huifang rubbing her slick opening, she suddenly let out a high-pitched moan as the doe suddenly inserted a finger, gently thrusting the digit in and out as she began to nibble and kiss the reptile's neck. Before long, the komodo dragon let out a louder moan as Huifang inserted her other finger before curling up her digits and thrusting them rapidly into the euphoric lizard, that is until the heavily aroused reptile grabbed the does wrist.

"It seems unfair that I am getting all the pleasure, my love," Shi Long teased as she ran her hand up Huifang's clothed leg. Catching on to what Shi Long was implying, Huifang, with a sly smirk of her own, stood from her position beside Shi Long. Withing seconds, Huifang began to slowly strip herself of her clothing. First, the silk sash that bound her hanfu at the waist fluttered to the ground. Then, in an agonizingly slow move, more than likely to tease her reptile lover, who at this point was rubbing her swollen lips to the sight of her girlfriend stripping, Huifang shed her hanfu, revealing the chest wrappings that bound her breasts. Once that was done, Huifang slowly removed her trousers, kicking the article of clothing away once it had reached her ankles, leaving her in nothing but her chest wrappings and cotton panties.

"You are gorgeous," Shi Long whispered in awe as she marveled at the does curvy, but still physically fit body. Blushing at the compliment, Huifang did her best to maintain her teasing smile as she reached behind her chest, her finger starting to deftly work to untie the knot that kept her chest wrappings in place. Noticing this, Shi Long quickly held up a hand, signalling Huifang to stop. At first confused. Huifang's smile only grew as Shi long beckoned her over with a single finger, offering a seductive wink as she did so. Doing as instructed, Huifang walked seductively toward Shi Long, making an effort to put as much movement into her hips as she did so.

"Allow me," Shi Long moaned, running a claw over Huifang's chest wrappings as soon as the doe was in front of her. As Huifang watched in anticipation, Shi Long began to use her claw to slowly cut down the center of the fabric binding her cervine lover's chest. Before long, the last bit of fabric gave way, the wrappings falling to the floor as Shi Long's eyes widened to see two round, and noticeably large breasts bounce free. Well, large by her standards. To others, they might appear quite average, but when Shi Long reached up to tenderly cup them, the action causing Huifang to release a low moan, Shi Long was surprised to find that they were still a bit of a hand full in her hands.

"Shi Long."

Upon hearing Huifang moan her name, Shi Long turned her attention from the marvelous breasts in her hands to the pleasured expression on the young does face. Seeing the effect she had on Huifang, Shi Long grew bolder. With new found determination, the komodo dragon's tongue slipped out of her mouth, the serpentine appendage flicking the sensitive nipple of Huifang's right breast, before latching her lips around the impressive mammary while Shi long's right hand began to kneed Huifang's left breast, making said doe release a deep moan of pleasure.

But, to Shi Long's surprise, after just two minutes of pleasuring Huifang, said doe pushed Shi Long back. At first believing she had done something wrong, any worry that Shi Long had quickly vanished when Huifang laid them both down on the bed with Shi Long laying on top. But, as Shi Long observed, they were laid in such away that they were face to face with each other's nether regions.

"Oh," Shi Long whispered with a sly smile as she hooked her thumbs into the hem of Huifang's panties, "I see what your after." With one swift movement, Shi long removed the last bit of clothing that obstructed her view of Huifang in all her womanly glory. Taking only a few moments to marvel at her girlfriend's now glistening folds, Shi Long wasted no time in getting to work. Within seconds, her long tongue was licking around Huifang's wet opening, moans of pleasure escaping the young doe's mouth as she did the same, earning moans from her scaly lover in return.

"SHI LONG!" Huifang suddenly screamed as she was met with a pleasant surprise. Deciding to up the anti on her lover's pleasure, Shi Long began to snake her tongue into Huifang's opening, the surprisingly wide appendage twisting and wiggling it's way into the confines of the does forbidden fruit. All Huifang could do was moan as Shi Long's tongue seemed to find every sweet spot of pleasure in her tight cavern. But, as time went on, Huifang found that she had been neglecting her lover as Shi Long did all the work. With newfound determination, and without warning, Huifang, using her fingers to spread the glistening folds apart, thrust her tongue forward into Shi long's dripping opening.

"HUIFANG!" Shi Long yelled out, the sudden intrusion making her scream in pleasure as she briefly withdraw from Huifang's glistening slit. But, after taking a few moments to recompose herself, Shi Long resumed her work. Before long, the room was filled with moaning as the two girls worked to fill the other with pleasure. Before long, as the two lovers worked to lick and scoop the sweet nectar that was flowing from their soaking slits, the moans grew in pitch until they were practically screaming, so much raw emotion being released in this one moment. Shi Long even felt the need to add more pleasure by thrusting two fingers in and out of Huifang's slit.

Soon, they both felt a great pressure building in their core. But, one thing was for sure, this was not how Shi Long wanted their session to end. Quickly removing her head from between Huifang's legs, Shi Long quickly began to reposition herself. Having been deprived of her feast, Huifang looked to her lover in mixture of annoyance and confusion, only to find that Shi Long had straddled one of her legs after rolling her onto her side.

"Shi Long, what are you dooIIIING?!" In instant, any annoyance Huifang held toward Shi Long quickly vanished as the komodo dragon suddenly thrusts her hips forward, connecting their two openings. After taking a few seconds to recover from the sudden sensation, Shi Long, grabbing onto Huifang's other leg, draping it over her shoulder at the knee, began to steadily thrust her hips forward, her slick opening rubbing against Huifang's, the latter moaning unabashedly as she began to grind her hips into Shi Long's thrusts.

Before long, Huifang was writhing in pleasure, the sensation growing even stronger when Shi long reached forward and began to massage one of her breasts. As this happened, the two females moaned in ecstasy as the nectar of their loins made a wet slapping noise with each thrust, their sensitive clits rubbing together, which in turn sent them to new heights of pleasure. Soon, the pleasure reached it's peak as the familiar feeling of pressure returned to their cores.

"Huifang," Shi Long whined, her thrust becoming harder and faster as she neared her orgasm, "I'm...I'm close." Huifang, who had begun to massage her other breast, barely heard as she reached her other hand down toward their connected openings, vigorously rubbing both her clitoris and Shi Long's to enhance the feeling and to bring about their release faster. Soon, Shi Long began to see euphoric tears fall from Huifang's as she vigorously rubbed both of their clits.

"Gonna cum...Gonna Cum...GONNA CUUUAHHHHH!" Her whines increasing in volume, Huifang let out a loud scream of pleasure as she grabbed Shi Long's hips, holding them together as she released her sweet juice all over her lover's crotch. This proved too much for Shi Long as her own juices quickly surged forward to meet Huifang's, a loud moan of satisfaction escaping her lips, only for it to be suddenly silenced as Huifang, after pulling herself into a sitting position, captured Shi Long's lips in a deep and passionate kiss, their tongues soon fighting for dominance, their hips still grinding against each other as tears of pleasure streamed down their cheeks. After a few minutes, the two pulled away from each other, their orgasmic highs finally coming to an end as they fell on their backs, their groins still connected.

"Wow," Shi Long gasped out, her hand unconsciously reaching to grab Huifang's as they just stared at the ceiling, their eyes heavy and glossed over from post-bliss fatigue. Huifang, so spent from the overwhelming pleasure, could only moan in agreement as she weakly pulled Shi Long toward her, the latter sighing in content as she laid her head on her lover's heaving chest. But, Shi long suddenly let out a soft whimper as she felt Huifang's fingers gently rubbed her soaking slit.

"Easy, my lovely doe," the reptile giggled, "I'm still a little tender."

"Sorry," Huifang responded with a bashful smile. For the next five minutes the two lay in silence, simply enjoying each other's company, that is until Shi Long said something that would change their relationship forever.

"I love you, Huifang," She whispered, a single tear escaping her eye as she turned to look into her lover's now wide eyes. At first, Shi long feared that Huifang might reject her love, but any doubt she had disappeared when she saw the doe's face relax into a look of adoration.

"I love you too, Shi Long," Huifang responded, placing a tender kiss on the reptiles head, earning a small giggle in return. After that, the two continued to lay in silence, all the while, Shi Long couldn't help but feel saddened, knowing that this could be the only time they could truly express their love for each other. For unless they and the others could figure out a way to defeat Jindiao, then their lives together could be over before it really began. Now Shi Long truly regretted all she had done. At this point she wished she had never met...

Shi Long quickly bolted upright as a thought came to her head. But, as she did so, it worried Huifang to see her lover suddenly so excited.

"Shi Long?" Huifang asked worriedly, "What is it?"

"I think I know how we can stop Jindiao," Shi long whispered in glee, a broad smile on her face, a smile that slightly faltered after remembering her and Huifang's current state of undress. "Provided we are properly dressed for when I tell the others," she added with a sheepish smile.

* * *

In the dining hall, every chair at the great table was occupied by those who had returned, as well as Xiao and Jade. Looking around, Xiao could see everyone in a very somber mood. And it was no mystery as to why.

"There must be something we can do to stop Jindiao," Xiao said, voicing what had been on everyone's mind, only to feel slightly dejected as she heard Han sigh.

"There really is nothing we can do," Shifu added in, as looked to his students, Po doing the same with his, each one holding a sorrowful expression.

"Not unless you can turn back time and find the Spirit Urn before Baigujing," Hu quipped in a heavily sarcastic tone as Wan stood beside him. Looking to Fan Tong, Chang could see the largest of the Four Constellations open his mouth to speak, a brightness in his expression.

"No, Fan Tong," Chang interrupted with a sad laugh, "we can't travel through time." And just as quickly as he had opened it, Fan tong snapped his mouth shut.

"Sorry," he replied sheepishly, "I just thought this was going to be one of those shocking reveal moments." Despite the tension in the room, this statement actually succeeded in getting a round of laughter around the table. Even Croc found the strength to laugh despite everything he had gone through.

"What about sending him back to the Spirit Realm?" Mantis suggested hopefully while perched on Monkey's shoulder, only to be shot down by Po.

"Yeah, I'm not going through that again buddy," he quipped with a sarcastic smile, "besides he'd only find another way out." Once again, Han let out another deep sigh.

"Well then it looks like we're out of options." Chang could not believe what he was hearing. Was Han really suggesting...?

"So we just surrender?" he inquired incredulously to Han after a long moment of silence. "Admit defeat, is that it?" Looking to Chang, Han felt his heart break at the look of utter disappointment in his Captain's eyes, eyes that were now brimming with tears, one even falling down his cheek. As Han opened his mouth to respond to Chang's rather one-sided question, a new voice spoke up.

"No." Looking to the source of the voice, everyone's eyes widened to see Shi Long, dressed in a teal qipao with golden trim and black trousers, as well as translucent teal sleeves, enter the room, backed by a determined Huifang, dressed in the same garb, only her sleeveless qipao was blue with white trim.

"Well I don't see any other option, Shi Long," Chang replied, his somber expression still present on his face. Upon reaching the other head of the table, Shi Long continued to speak.

"I have an idea." Upon seeing the doubtful looks being sent her way, Shi Long, after some silent encouragement from Huifang, tried to ease some of the doubt. "Don't worry, it's a good one...I think." the room was silent for a few seconds, until Han finally spoke up.

"If Shi Long has an idea that could give us an advantage," he began, standing from his seat as he cast his gaze around the table before landing on said reptile, "I'd like to hear it."

"So would I." Shi Long's eyes widened in surprise as Xiao quickly stood to her defense. Looking into the young lynx's eyes, Shi Long felt her heart melt as Xiao sent her an encouraging smile and nod, a clear indication that she was willing to listen. After taking a moment to recover from the shock, Shi Long cleared her throat before speaking.

"As you know, I was the one who summoned Baigujing," she began hesitantly, receiving some glares from those in the room. Feeling Huifang place her hand on her shoulder, Shi Long soldiered on. "But, don't think for a moment I didn't have a plan to send her back." As she said this, Shi Long produced a metal orb, it's surface covered with strange red markings.

"What is that supposed to be?" Wing inquired indifferently.

"A Chi Orb," Shi Long quickly answered. "It is what we used to obtain the chi needed to help power the Iron Goddess." At that moment, everyone began to understand what Shi long was getting at.

"So you're saying," Su interjected, "that if we plan it right, we can...?"

"Use the orb to absorb Jindiao's chi," Shi Long cut in, a bright smile on her face. "And without his power, Jindiao will be unable to control Baigujing's army." Soon everyone was overcome with newfound enthusiasm.

"It's a long shot," Chang said, still being a bit skeptical, only for that that skepticism to vanish when a smiling Han placed his hand on his captain's shoulder.

"But it's the best chance we have," the older buck reasoned, his encouraging smile returned by Chang. Unfortunately, the hopeful atmosphere quickly changed to concern as a sound that could only be described as a muffled explosion was heard outside of the palace. A few minutes passed, the sound repeated, only much louder.

Bolting from the dining hall, the group made their way to the front of the palace. And once the main doors flew open, the group was met with a horrifying site; great pillars of smoke rising in the distance, the sound of musket fire joining in with the thunderous explosions that approached the walls of the city. Staring hard at the smoke, Han voiced a very astute observation.

"They're here."

* * *

**On the Outskirts of the Forbidden City**

* * *

"Mu Lang," Jindiao called in an eerily calm voice as he observed his new army advance on the capital. At last he would have the ultimate revenge. But first, their was one more loose end that needed to be tied up.

"Yes Master," the she-wolf responded with a bow. Turning to his canine subordinate, the power-mad dragon smiled wickedly as his warriors began to attack the city.

"Information is a valuable resource," he began ominously, producing a musket for Mu Lang, said wolf taking it and studying it with much reverence before looking back to her new master. "See to it that Master Ox does not become an asset to our enemies." Picking up on what her master was asking, Mu Lang smiled deviously as she bounded toward the city, leaving Jindiao alone to enjoy his eminent victory.

* * *

**The Catacombs beneath the Forbidden City**

* * *

Through the rock ceilings over their heads, the sound of battle could be heard by the citizens of the Forbidden City who where huddled together as the thundering explosions of canons and repeated volley of musket fire sounded overhead. Several children whimpered in fear as their parents held them close. One elderly pig couple held each other close as a noticeably louder explosion shook loose some pebbles and dirt from the ceiling, the small fragments falling on the people bellow. A few times, infants awakened by the noise would begin to cry.

While the citizens remained seated, the vast majority of the Palace Guard, accompanied by a small chunk of the Eighth Regiment, a good fifty soldiers, walked among the frightened citizens placed under their care, finding it rather difficult as the usually spacious catacombs now only offered about ten feet of space to walk through. Among the Place Guard was Fa Jun. In the time since the city was evacuated, Jun, along with Haoxin and several other guards helped to tend to some of the more high maintenance citizens, namely the young, sick and elderly.

"JUN!" Turning to the voice that called her name, Jun smiled warmly at Nan Hai, the young buck's arms loaded down with multiple burlap sacks, followed closely by an equally burdened Ludian Li. Upon reaching the young doe, Nan and Lu placed the sacks down in a relatively open area, Lu walking off to join the rest of the citizens after. After taking a few moments to stretch his back, a few noticeable pops coming from his spine as he arched it, Nan quickly reached for one of the sacks. Upon opening the bag, Nan saw Jun's eyes widen in glee when he revealed the contents; bags of rice, fruit, and fresh greens.

"Oh Nan, your wonderful," Jun said excitedly, wrapping her arms around the buck in a happy embrace. But, as Nan observed, her enthusiasm seemed a bit more tired than usual. But, as he figured, it was no mystery why. Gently returning the hug for a brief moment, Nan pulled away so he could look into Jun's violet eyes, our rather eye, as the does signature lock of fur once again obstructed by the long bangs of fur on her head. With a quiet chuckle, Nan gently brushed Jun's bang's out of her face, giving him the opportunity to look at the two breathtaking violet orbs.

"Wow," he breathed out.

"Wow what?" Jun inquired with a giggle.

"You're eyes," Nan responded, his own teal eyes wide in amazement, "they're beautiful." Upon hearing this, Jun turned her head away, a deep blush forming on her face as she giggled, only for Nan to gently use his hand to pull her face back. And for the two teenagers at that moment, time seemed to slow down as their lips met in their first kiss. However, the tender moment was interrupted by another male voice.

"Alright lover boy, that'll be enough of that." Looking to the source of the new voice, Nan rolled his eyes at the grey furred buck that had been a thorn in his side since he was made acting leader of the Eighth Regiment.

"Buzz off, Xiongdi," Nan snapped back, only succeeded in agitating the much taller buck, his brown eyes staring menacingly at Nan.

"How about a little more respect, BOY," Xiongdi spat back.

"I reserve my respect for people like the General or the Captain, people who deserve it."

"Well they're not hear now, are they?" Xiongdi responded after looking around in an exaggerated fashion. Nearby, Haoxin took notice of the hostility between the two bucks. And if their was one thing she knew about bucks, is when they butted heads, it did not end well. Excusing herself from helping a mother pig feed her child, Haoxin, along with a few other guards and soldiers, stepped forward to intervene before a full on brawl could begin.

"That's enough you two," she said in a low, threatening voice, a voice that pretty much conveyed that she was not in the mood for what was going on between the two bucks. Reaching down to the sacks on the ground, Haoxin began to distribute them to the surrounding guards and soldiers. "We need to start handing out this food." Upon hearing this, Nan, upon realizing what he had almost started, numbly nodded in response. But, Xiongdi was far from done.

"What makes you think I'm gonna take orders from some dumb doe." At that moment, Nan, as well as a handful of soldiers and citizens immediately held their breath while Jun and the guards, at first disgusted by the buck's remark, began to smirk when they saw the determined expression on Haoxin's face.

"What's your name soldier?" Haoxin asked in a deceptively calm manor.

"Xiongdi, Missy," the bunk jeered, which failed to faze Haoxin.

"Could you place your right foot forward?" Upon hearing this, Xiongdi soon sported a smug grin as he did so.

"What, are we gonna dance?" he mockingly inquired, taking into account for the first time Haoxin's lithe and curvy figure. "Cause I got some moves I think you'd like." Before the brash buck could even react, he was on the ground with a bloody nose from a savage right hook from Haoxin. Upon witnessing the impressive move from the doe, a few of the men, as well as some guards and citizens began to hoot and holler, only for the revelry to vanish quickly as an even louder explosion sounded over head. Upon remembering the situation they were in, Haoxin turned back to Jun and Nan, the latter staring at Xiongdi's limp form in shock before turning back to Haoxin, who merely shrugged with a smile.

"Looks like you still got it Xin," a female voice sounded from behind said doe. Looking in the direction the voice came from, Haoxin's eyes widened when she took in the form of a dark furred doe dressed in a simple green long sleeved tunic and white trousers, her yellow eyes twinkling in amusement, eyes that briefly flicked toward Nan, who gulped nervously at one of the does that had flirted with him upon his arrival in the city, the doe winking and blowing a kiss with a sly smile. Haoxin on the other hand was completely dumbfounded as she stared at the doe she and a few of the other Palace Guards saved from death.

"I never lost it, Tou Lu," Haoxin responded with a wide smile before pulling the former Poison Clan member into a tight hug, which said doe gladly returned.

"It's been so long, big sister" Tou Lu said after pulling away, smiling from ear to ear. At this point, Nan and Jun had left to help the others, leaving the two does alone.

"It certainly has, little sister" Haoxin responded with a sad smile. Soon, the two found themselves in another hug. Unfortunately, their little family reunion was cut short as another explosion literally shook the ground they stood on. Before long, Hu, accompanied by Huifang bounded into the catacombs.

"THEY'VE BREACHED THE MAIN GATE! NAN!" Hu hollered to the young buck who stood at attention, "YOU AND A HANDFUL OF MEN WILL STAY HERE! THE REST OF YOU, WITH ME!" Before long, about four-fifths of the soldiers in the catacombs, a slightly disoriented Xiongdi among them, bolted after Hu, leaving Huifang alone, the young doe quickly running to Haoxin.

"Jade needs as many, oh high Tou Lu," Huifang began, but quickly greeted the long absent doe, "Jade needs as many of us as possible to protect Xiao."

"Mind if I tag along?" Tou Lu inquired in a playful tone.

"The more the merrier," Haoxin respond, clapping Tou Lu on the back.

"Yeah," Huifang responded, "it'll be just like old times." And with that, the trio of does and the Palace Guards, save for Jun and a few others, bolted out of the catacombs to join the fighting force on the surface.

* * *

"GO! GO! GO!" Chang was screaming at the top of his lungs as he and a majority of the Eighth, now clad in helmets and chest armor, charged at the advancing terra cotta warriors. It had only been ten minutes since the enemy had breached the city's main gate, but try as they might, the ranks of experienced soldiers could not push them back. The musket and canon fire were proving to have little effect on the demonic soldiers, who just seemed to keep coming in droves, no matter how many were shattered.

"FOR THE EMPRESS!" Chang turned just in time to see a charging buck take a direct hit to the head from a blast from a terra cotta warrior.

"FOR CHINA!" Looking to another soldier, Chang witnessed the wolf take a direct hit through the chest, the sickening sight of bone being bushed out the back with the soldier being thrown back a few feet shocking him. Looking around frantically, Chang watched in horror as several of his comrades in arms were mowed down as if they were nothing. Slowly, the peel of muskets began to be replaced by said weapons clattering to the ground as the enemy quickly advanced, taking down as many soldiers as possible. At this point, Chang knew there was no chance.

"FALL BACK!" he called, firing his pistol into the head of a dangerously close terra cotta warrior a second later. "FALL BACK!"

"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!" A gruff feminine voice hollered. Chang was then met with the sight Po, Tigress, Nu Hai and Fan Tong jumping right into the fray, the three pandas using their chi to decimate the advancing warriors, all while Tigress used her exemplary Kung Fu skills.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M FIGHTING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THE MASTER TIGRESS!" Nu Hai squealed as she blasted five warriors with her chi. Upon hearing this, Tigress couldn't help but chuckle at the young panda's enthusiasm. Po, on the other hand, was a little annoyed at this.

"NU HAI, FIGHT NOW, FREAK LATER! CHANG!" Po yelled to his friend, "DO AS TIGRESS SAYS AND HOLD YOUR POSITION!"

"YOU HEARD HIM MEN!" Chang called back, "PUSH FORWARD!" Before long, the men under Chang's command began to make a noticeable dent in the enemies ranks, thanks to the aid provided by their Kung Fu friends.

"How are we doing on the other fronts, Po?!" Chang inquired as he came up alongside his friend. Dispatching another warrior, Po turned to Chang.

"Shifu, the rest of the Five, Bao and Jing are holding at the city square," Po began, the duo dispatching more warriors as they spoke, "and Croc, Han and the Wu's are trying to hold them back at Army Headquarters!"

"Army Headquarters?!" Chang asked, very confused, until a sudden realization came to mind. Ox.

"PO!" Looking up, the duo saw Crane and Xinshi flying toward them.

"Crane!" Po called back as the two birds worked hard to dodge incoming fire, finally succeeding in landing in front of Po and Chang. "What is it?"

"Master Croc, Han and the Wu Sister's are being overwhelmed at Army Headquarters!" Crane breathlessly explained. Seeing her fellow avian still recovering, the much more alert Xinshi chimed in, looking to Chang.

"Han want's you to meet him and the Wu's at the palace!" Upon seeing Chang's concerned expression, Xinshi answered the captain's obvious question before he could ask it. "Master Shifu is sending Mantis and Monkey to aid Master Croc! Now go!" Looking to Po, Chang received a nod of encouragement from his friend. After patting the panda on the shoulder, Chang bolted for the palace.

* * *

**The Imperial Palace**

* * *

Within minutes, Chang found himself bounding up the steps of the Imperial Palace, the noise of battle surprisingly quieter from this point. Upon reaching the doors to the throne room, Chang quickly removed his helmet as two guards allowed him to enter. Upon entering the throne room, Chang could see that Han and the Wu Sisters had already arrived, the latter with his own helmet tucked under his arm. The quartet, upon noticing Chang's arrival, stopped their conversation with Xiao and Jade, who was flanked by Huifang, Shi Long, and Haoxin, as well as a dark furred doe that he vaguely recognized as one of the does who flirted with him and Nan upon their arrival.

"HAN!" Chang called as he bounded toward the group, "I came as soon as Xinshi told me. How bad is it?" Upon seeing Han's somber expression, Chang feared the worst.

"Jindiao's forces are close to taking Army Headquarters." Han said with a sad sigh. "If they do that, then there will be nothing to stop them from advancing toward the palace."

"What about Ox?" Chang inquired.

"A small contingent has been sent to guard him," Su added, arms crossed in front of her chest as she spoke. Xiao was next to speak.

"Why do you ask Chang?" she inquired. It was at this point that Chang could not believe that his allies could not see the obvious problem they faced. Once more, he had to be the voice of reason.

"Ox is a member of the Master's Council," Chang began to explain, "which means he has had access to sensitive Imperial and military records." Slowly, the other's began catch on to what Chang was implying.

"You're saying," Jade began, stepping toward her lover as she spoke, "that if the enemy finds out where we are holding Ox in Army headquarters, then they can help him escape in order to get that information?"

"Exactly," Chang said, "and I have a sneaking suspicion he knows a lot."

"How do you mean?" Shi long inquired.

"At first I thought it was just a coincidence," Chang began, "but during our recent engagement with the Dzungar Army, the enemy was very sloppy at first. But slowly, they became more swift and precise."

"Are you saying Ox had helped them?" Xiao asked, her concern growing by the second.

"Possibly," Chang continued, "but then again we couldn't have known of his treachery at the time. But when we returned with him in our custody, A soldier had told me that Ox had made an 'off the books' inspection at Army Headquarters during our fight with the Dzungars. Said he was poking around the archives, as well as Han's and my quarters." This further fueled the unease of everyone else in the room.

"Was anything missing?" Wan inquired.

"No," Chang answered, but he still held a suspicious expression on his face, "but I did find one of strategy books out of place in my quarters. Now I know it is no coincidence."

"What coincidence, Chang?" Han inquired, annoyance laced with fear evident in his voice.

"The terra cotta warrior's attacks are so efficient, it's my strategy they know. Just like the Dzungars." Huifang gasped in surprise.

"Are you saying...?"

"Yes," Chang quickly interrupted, an enraged expression now on his face, "Ox has been against us from the start." At they moment, the tension became even more strained. After a few moments, Jade spoke up.

"Something has to be done," she proposed. "We can't run the risk that Ox might escape."

"As long as Ox is alive, he is a danger to every one of us," Chang said with a firm nod. Upon hearing this, Han let out a long sigh.

"I...agree," he said in a defeated tone. "But not before WE can get some information out of him." With that said, Han and Chang, accompanied by the Wu's and Jade began their trek to Army Headquarters.

* * *

**The Brig, Army Headquarter**

* * *

The small group, led by Han and Chang, were escorted down one of the many halls of Army Headquarters, the muffled sound of battle echoing everywhere. Before long, they were lead into a large, four story rotunda, bared gates lining every wall on every floor. Moving to a set of stairs, the group ascended to the next level. Before long, they were standing in front of a rather large cell, the sole occupant pacing like a wild animal. Upon noticing the group, Ox offered a small, teasing smile.

"So glad you could find the time to visit," he said in mock friendship. This did little to amuse the group. Chang stepped forward, wanting to get right to the point.

"You are going to be executed, Ox," he sneered, "but we need to ask you some questions first." Upon hearing this, Ox, rather than appear fearful, actually appeared pleased. Taking a seat on his bunk at the far end of the cell, which was only about ten feet from the gate, Ox leaned forward with keen interest.

"Fire away," he said with a shrug. Although greatly annoyed by Ox's casual demeanor, Han decided that know was the most opportune time to control his ever flaring temper. After taking a deep breath, Han began.

"Why aid the Dzungars?" The answer was surprisingly quick.

"Baigujing wanted to lull you into a false sense of security." The group was dumbfounded.

"I don't understand," Jade said. Ox, with a soft chuckle, responded.

"It's very simple," he said. "You see, the Dzungars were always meant to lose, puppets controlled by Baigujing. With China's enemy defeated once again, the people's valiant soldiers, the Eight Royal Regiment, the ones who had been at the forefront of the conflict since the beginning, would be called back to the capital to celebrate. The people, the soldiers, even the empress would be unsuspecting of any further hostility."

"And yet you help to bring that hostility," Su growled menacingly, only to be silenced as Han held up his hand, a signal to control herself.

"As I said back at the Fortress," Ox said with a shrug, "or rather, allow me to indulge you a little further. I have seen the evil yet to come, petty assassins to individuals, those who seek to disrupt the course of peace. Baigujing was to help me stop the current flow of history, which I will admit was very clouded." At that moment, Ox bowed his head, a sad sigh escaping his lips. "But with her death, everything I had hoped for has vanished. The course of history has not changed, and has become even more clear."

"So now you can live the last minutes of your life," Wing stated with a sneer, "knowing that the hundreds of lives you have 'sacrificed,' have amounted to nothing." After a few moments of silence, Chang and Han began to draw their pistols. Motioning to a nearby soldier, said soldier proceeded to unlock Ox's cell. But as the cell door opened, Ox said something that made them stop in their tracks.

"What are hundreds of lives compared to millions? But as of know, I see you are right."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Han growled as he leveled his pistol at Ox's head. Ox merely chuckled.

"As I had said before," he said through his chortle, "combined, these future evil-doers will have the blood of millions on their hands."

"So this makes killing hundreds upon thousands 'justifiable?' Is that it?" Jade fumed, reaching for her dagger that she kept on her hip. Ox merely shrugged.

"While it may sound hypocritical, one of these futures tyrants would say 'one is a tragedy, while a hundred is statistic."

"I've heard enough," Chang growled as he cocked his pistol, taking aim at Ox's head alongside Han.

"You're not going to kill me," Ox said in a deadpan manner.

"Oh yeah," Chang growled through gritted teeth. Looking at Chang, Ox merely smirked.

"I have seen the future. What happens next, places everything in motion." At this point, Han's hand holding his pistol was shaking. While he wanted to just end Ox right then and there, curiosity got the best of him.

"What is being put into motion?" To everyone's surprise, Ox actually offered a warm smile to Han.

"The defeat of Jindiao."

**BANG!**

In that instant, Ox fell back with a yelp a pain, a fresh bleeding wound in the middle of his chest courtesy of a musket ball. Turning to the source of the shot, the groups eyes widened to see Mu Lang leap from the platform just above theirs to the ground floor before bolting down the hall, throwing daggers at any soldier who stood in her way.

"JADE!" Chang called, "ON ME!"

"RIGHT!" Jade responded before leaping over the railing of the landing, followed closely by Chang who opted to use the stairs. Before long they were chasing after Mu Lang. Meanwhile, Han and Su knelt by the barely breathing Ox, his breath rasping as the life left his body.

"How do we stop Jindiao?" Han whispered urgently. Weakly turning his head, Ox offered a sad smile as he spoke in raspy whisper.

"If I tell you what is going to happen," he began, "it won't." As soon as he said this, Ox began to violently cough, small amounts of blood leaking from his mouth. "T-tell Croc and the others..." another cough, "I-I'm sorry. I was so blinded by the future, that I failed to live in the present. And also..." at that moment Ox beckoned both Han and Su forward, whispering into their ears so that Wing and Wan couldn't hear. After a few seconds, Han and Su pulled away from Ox in shock.

"You mean...?" Su began to inquire in a shaky voice, only for Ox to silence her by taking her hand in his, offering a sad smile as he nodded.

"Go and bring a little bit more peace into the world, as I should have done." With that, Ox closed his eyes as his body went limp, the legendary master passing away, at peace with those around him, as well as himself. After a few moments of silence, Han and Su stood. After a few more moments of silence, Wan finally spoke.

"What did he say?" She inquired, only for Han and Su to smile tenderly at each other before answering.

"Nothing you need worry yourself over," Su said, gently cupping her little sisters cheek before she and Han motioned for the two confused sisters to follow them. Before long, the quartet where running in the direction they had seen their friends go. After a few minutes they caught up to the duo, who looked very frustrated.

"Mu Lang?" Han inquired.

"Gone," Chang growled as he threw his helmet as he took a few steps away. Once again, the group was enveloped in silence, the sound of battle the only thing being perceived at that moment. That is until, a booming voice all but deafened them, leaving them no choice but to cover their ears to lessen the sound. Jade even huddled close to Chang as tears of fear fell from her eyes as she was once again forced to hear the voice of the being that had betrayed her.

**"CITIZENS OF THE FORBIDDEN CITY! I AM DRAGON MASTER JINDIAO! YOUR SOLDIERS HAVE FOUGHT VALIANTLY, BUT IN THE END IT WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING WHEN I TAKE CONTROL OF THIS CITY! BUT, I AM NOTHING IF NOT MERCIFUL! YOU CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE ON YOUR KNEES, OR DIE ON YOUR FEET! I WILL WITHDRAW MY FORCES AND GIVE YOU ONE HOUR TO DECIDE! TAKE THIS TIME TO DISPOSE OF YOUR DEAD WITH DIGNITY!"**

And in an instant, the booming voice had fallen silent, as well as the sounds of battle outside. Cautiously, the group slowly crept outside. Upon entering the courtyard, all were unnerved at the silence that had fallen over the city. But as the group looked around, their attention was suddenly brought to the direction of the Palace, were a large plume of smoke seemed to be originating. Jade's eyes widened in fear. Before the other's knew what they were doing, they found themselves bounding toward the Palace gates.

Upon entering the Palace courtyard, the group could see large portions of the ground had been blown apart. Upon looking at the palace itself, they all stared wide eyed as a large portion of the facade had been blow away with smoldering timbers causing the smoke. As they walked toward the palace, the group was confused to see no bodies in the courtyard. Even more so when they found none in the palace, the many hallways instead strewn with rubble.

"It's quiet," Chang astutely observed. A few minutes of silence passed as the group stood in confusion.

"Where is everyone," Jade asked. After another few minutes, they got their answer in the form a physically and emotionally exhausted Hu, his surgeons apron and his exposed forearms, courtesy of have his sleeves rolled up, covered in blood..

"We're in the catacombs...It's bad."


	8. Sacrifice and Victory

The group slowly descended into the catacombs, a deep feeling of dread filling their souls as the sound of moaning and weeping could be heard echoing through the stone halls. At that moment, each individual dreaded the possibility of what they might see, for if what Hu said was any indication, Jindiao's attack had been outright devastating. While the medic didn't have a full assessment of casualties, he did admit he expected it to be in the hundreds. Luckily, well, depending on how the individual might look at it, the casualties thus far had been military and not civilian, thanks to the evacuation.

"Ox is dead?" Hu inquired after a long few minutes of silence. Looking to Hu, who had looked over his shoulder, Han, who's left arm Su was clinging tightly too, gave a solemn nod, which seemed to confuse the medic. "What is it?"

"Mu Lang got to him first," Chang said, flanked by a very nervous Jade who was anxious to see if any of her clan sisters survived.

"Did you get any information out of him before hand?" Hu inquired. Han once again nodded, this time followed by a verbal response.

"We did," he said in a somber voice. "We will discuss it with the others."

Deciding not to push the topic further, Hu simply nodded as he returned his attention to where he was going. Upon taking another turn, the groups' eyes widened at what they beheld, save for Hu who quickly stepped away to resume his duties. Throughout the catacombs, among the somber citizens, were rows of dead and wounded soldiers, the deceased being covered in clothe, while the wounded were being tended to. The very sight of the carnage took Han's breath away, only for it to return uneven...shaken.

"My God," Chang whispered, completely stunned by what he saw. After a few minutes of just staring at the seemingly endless rows of bodies, the group, lead by a very anxious Jade, began to slowly traverse the deathly image. Everyone, from the living to the dead, where placed against the sides of the catacombs allowing a central walkway that would give easier access to move around. As the group continued to walk, they beheld a series of heart wrenching sights.

A young buck weeping as he and another soldier, who had placed a comforting hand on the other's shoulder, pulled a clothe shroud over the still body of a dead wolf soldier, who Han surmised was the buck's best friend, given his current emotional state.

"General," came a weak voice, causing Han to turn and take in the sight of a clearly exhausted Nan, whose arm, having received a nasty cut, was being sown shut by Hu, who was quickly joined by a worried Wan, who helped to offer comfort to the young buck. Nan actually managed to smile as Wan took a seat beside him, gently taking his hand hers. Wan then proceeded to bring Nan's head toward her, leaning it on her shoulder. To Han, Su and Wing's collective surprise, Nan seemed to fall asleep instantly. The very sight seemed to bring comfort to them as they smiled sadly at the tender scene.

"No." The trio's attention was quickly brought to Jade as she let out a pained whisper. In an instant, Jade, followed closely by Chang, bolted toward a more open area in the catacombs. Since they had arrived, Jade had been scanning the wounded and dead for her sisters. Upon taking in the traditional garb of the Palace Guard into her sight, Jade's heart began to break when she saw a good number them gathered together, seemingly surrounding something, or rather...someone.

Han, Su and Wing watched sadly as Jade cautiously approached the group. And as Han observed, the first to greet Jade was Jun, her cheeks stained with tears as she let out a strangled sob, more tears flowing as she threw her self toward Jade, who quickly embraced the weeping doe, her own resolve breaking as she looked down to the cause of the young doe's anguish. Soon, the trio saw Jade's tears break forth like a dam breaking up as she slowly knelt in the middle of the guards circle, where, as they could observe, a body was most definitely placed. A body that broke Jade's heart to see.

"Oh Hao," Jade softly wept as she cried alongside Xiao and Tou Lu, the latter sobbing hard into her deceased sister's chest, while the lynx was being held close by a somber Fan Tong. All around them, the other doe's mourned the loss of their friend and sister, one even bringing Jun into a tight embrace as the young doe sobbed at the loss of her sister and mentor.

As this happened, Han, in a seemingly catatonic state, began to cast his gaze over the catacombs. As he observed, a few other guards had been killed and wounded, being tended to by other guards. Before long, Han's gaze froze a very heartbreaking sight.

From what Han could see, The Furious Five, or rather what remained of the Furious Five, Master Shifu, and the remaining Four Constellations, were also in the same state of mourning. Han's heart broke when he was able to take in the still forms of Monkey, a scorched slash across his chest, and Mantis, his body broken in so many ways, but still recognizable.

A tear fell from Han's eye as his gaze drifted over to a motionless Croc, his body laying in such a way that it appeared that he could have been sleeping. But Han knew better.

"May you find peace in the Spirit Realm My Friend," Han whispered as he turned to Su, the latter gently resting her head on Han's shoulder as the two and Wing observed all that had transpired.

"All this," whispered a visibly saddened Wing, "and for what?"

"It's war, Wing," Han whispered after a moment, "and like war, I don't think any of us really know." Upon saying this, Han soon took on a determined expression as he took in the sight of a scraped and bruised Shi Long and Huifang, the former comforting the latter as she too mourned for Haoxin.

"But one thing I do know about war," Han said with sheer determination upon fully understanding what must be done, "is that one day, it has to end." With that said, Han began to walk toward Shi Long, followed closely by Su and Wing. Upon reaching the reptile, Han placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, prompting Shi Long to slowly raise her gaze to meet his.

"Han," she said in sad, but pleasantly surprised voice. Upon hearing the mention of her uncle's name, Huifang slowly raised her head to meet his gaze. Upon seeing this, Han smiled warmly at his niece.

"Hello Sweet Hui," Han cooed as he gently brought her into a loving embrace.

"Hey Uncle Han," she responded with a sad chuckle. After a few moments the pair pulled apart, only for Han to bring his hands up to cup Huifang's cheeks, his thumbs gently wiping away her falling tears.

"Huifang," Han began gently, "may I talk to Shi Long alone for a moment." Looking to her girlfriend hesitantly for a moment, Huifang relented when the komodo dragon sent a comforting nod and smile. Pulling away from Han, said buck, after informing Wing to get the other members of their earlier conversation, pulled Shi Long to a secluded space, leaving Huifang with Su , the feline sharing a tender embrace with her "niece."

"What is it?" Shi long inquired once she and Han were away from the others.

"The Orb," he began, cutting right to the chase, "you still have it?" At first confused, Shi Long's eyes widened when she remembered their plan.

"OH, YES!" she softly exclaimed, presenting said orb to Han who gladly took it. Eying the surprisingly dense metal orb, Han's mind seemed to drift off as he gazed at the intricate red markings that decorated the orb. For a few minutes, Han just stood there, a vacant stare on his face as he held the round object. All Shi Long could do was stand their, the situation becoming quite awkward until Wing returned, followed by her sisters and Huifang, Chang and Jade, Hu, Xiao, Master Shifu and the remainder of the Five, and the Constellations.

Pulling his attention away from the orb, Han looked to the others, his heart once again heavy from taking in their somber demeanor. Chang held Jade close to him, the fur on her cheeks damp from crying, the same as Xiao who leaned into Fan Tong's side. Tigress had found her self in Po's embrace, the usually hardcore feline struggling, and failing, to keep her tears for her fallen friends from flowing. Wan stood alongside Hu, who, much like everyone else, appeared more tired than anything, for it had been a very tiring experience. Shi long went back to stand beside Huifang, who was still being comforted by Su. The remainder of the group, being Crane with a somber Viper coiled around his neck, as well as the other three members of the constellations stood to the side.

For a hard two minutes, the group just stood in silence, no one daring to say a word, or even breath for that matter. The tension was already unbearably strained from everything that had happened. But, as Han knew all too well, the tension, needed to be released.

"We all know what must be done," he finally said, his eyes sweeping over the faces that surrounded him, each head solemnly nodding in agreement. Turning to Shi Long, Han needed to clarify something that was actually an oversight from earlier on. "The question is 'how?'" After a brief moment of hesitation, Shi Long answered.

"The orb itself does not draw chi," she began with a shaky breath, "but rather what lies within it. But what it is, I have no idea. I do know, that the markings are actually of a language of a bygone era. I was able to decipher them." It was at that moment that Shi Long fell eerily silent. This did little to ease the nerves of those around her.

"What is it, Shi Long?" Xiao finally asked. After another moment, Shi Long steeled herself to reveal what needed to be said.

"To obtain what is inside," the lizard continued, "it requires, as said in the markings, 'The Sacrifice of a Warrior.'" As if on cue, all eyes suddenly turned to Po, who couldn't help but let out a loud groan of annoyance.

"SERIOUSLY!? THIS AGAIN?!" he all but screamed.

"No Po," Shi long whispered. This actually confused everyone. If Po wasn't the "Warrior," then who was?

"_'The Sacrifice of a Warrior who has lead hundreds into battle,_

_who has the heart of a soldier,_

_but the soul of a peacemaker._

_Only they will receive what lies within_

_upon accepting their duty.'_"

As Shi Long spoke, all eyes drifted toward the only person who fit that very description. Han looked to the orb still in his hand, the piece of metal now feeling even heavier than it had been, as he now knew what had to be done. Looking to the others, Han could see their eyes filled with great worry, Su especially who, without warning, lunged toward Han, wrapping her arms around his chest as she began to weep, her tears staining his tunic as she did so.

"Please don't do this," she sobbed weakly, pulling away from him only to grab his face, his handsome, bearded face that she may never see again.

"There has to be another way," Chang pleaded, tears of his own forming in his eyes.

"Chang's right," Su sobbed, looking into Han's eyes while she took his hand and placed it on her stomach as she spoke. "Han, think of us...think of our child." That caught everyone by surprise.

"Su," Wu asked warily as she steeped forward, "what are you talking about?" It was at that moment that Su realized she had just let the cat out of the bag. But, before she could explain, Han did it for her.

"That's what Ox said before he died," Han explained with a sad smile, "he said 'that child of yours is going to be something special.'" Upon hearing this, Su let out an involuntary chuckle as she once again wrapped her arms around Han. Chang, on the other hand, was having none of it.

"Han," he began in a low voice, "I cannot allow you to do this." Pulling away from Su, Han glared hard at his captain.

"It's not up for discussion, Chang," Han growled. It was at this point that Chang was starting to lose his patience.

"Sir," he growled back, putting emphasis on the word sir as he did so, his voice rising to the point of screaming as he continue to speak, "as your captain, it is my duty to help guide you to make the best decisions possible, something I believe YOU ARE FULLY INCAPABLE OF DOING!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT!" Everyone's eyes went wide in shock, even Chang was shocked to hear his general speak to him in such a way. Thankfully, the group was far enough away from everyone else as it would have been awkward to have been present at that moment. "What I am planning to do," Han continued in a more even voice, "what I am about to do...it makes no sense, I have no idea what is suppose to be done or how this ends, it is a GUT...FEELING!"

"Han," Chang began after taking a moment to calm down, "you have to understand..."

"No Chang," Han interrupted, "for once you will understand. Since you became my captain, you have helped me become a greater General then I could have ever hoped to be. And it was all because of your faith. Now, I ask you to but that faith in me once again, as I will you." It was at that moment that Chang realized he would not win this argument. He noticed that even Su realized that Han was right. Letting out a sigh, Chang stepped aside, a silent indication that he would let Han pass.

"Not yet," Han said with a warm smile, "first I need Xinshi to..." Han's voice faltered as he noticed the somber expression on the other's faces. Even Xiao began weeping once again as Fan Tong consoled her. It was at that moment that he understood.

Xinshi was gone as well. But he knew that this was no time for mourning.

"Crane," Han said as he turned to the spindly avian, "fly to Jindiao's camp, and tell him...that I will come to him to negotiate terms of surrender...alone."

_He's definitely lost it_, Chang thought to himself, his eyes wide in shock. But, upon noticing the orb still in Han's hand, he understood what was to happen. As Crane did as he was told, Po noticed that Han just stood in place, his gaze hovering over each of them.

"What, uh, what are you doing there Han?" Po inquired, slightly unnerved. Han merely chuckled at his friend.

"Taking one last look Po," Han responded as he pulled Su close to his side, "at...my family."

* * *

Han now stood at the edge of forest road that led to the Forbidden City, the tell tale sighs of evening creeping in. Crane had returned just ten minutes before to inform him that Jindiao had accepted his offer to meet him. Holding the Chi Orb in his hand, Han couldn't help but wonder what he was suppose to do. That is until he thought over what Shi Long had said were etched in the markings.

_Only they will receive what lies within upon accepting their duty_.

While he knew it was a long shot, Han realized what was needed to unlock the orb. Bringing the metal sphere to his lips, Han closed his eyes as whispered to the orb.

"I am prepared to die."

At that moment, the markings on the orb began to glow a bright red. After a few moments, Han noticed that a small latch had opened on the orbs surface. Peering inside the orb, Han's eyes widened to see what appeared to be a necklace. On the necklace appeared to be a stone pendant. But upon closer inspection, Han could see that the stone was in fact the rare red jade. Tentatively taking the necklace into his hand, Han allowed the orb to drop to the ground with a thud. Upon examining the red jade, Han could see that the jade itself bore the same, although painstakingly small markings of the orb.

"I have to be wearing it," he said to himself as he came to the realization. Wasting no time, Han proceeded to place the necklace around his neck, promptly hiding it under his under tunic so that Jindiao would not see it. After taking a few minutes to steel himself, Han began to walk into the forest.

* * *

"He should have been here by now master," Mu Lang said in agitation, her hackles raised as she grew even more inpatient.

"Calm yourself, Mu Lang," Jindiao instructed with a smile, "China wasn't built in a day." Shrinking back under the dragon's glare, Mu Lang simply nodded, whimpering like a pup who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Meanwhile, Jindiao merely chuckled to himself. He always felt that Han was an old fool, but this really takes the cake. He almost didn't believe the message that had been delivered to him by the distinguished Master Crane that Han wished to talk terms of surrender.

_Oh, there will be surrender, Hanfang,_ Jindiao thought to himself, _Only you will not be around to see it._ At that moment, Jindiao could hear footsteps approaching, before long, his smile widened even more as Han stepped into the clearing that he and his forces were stationed in.

Looking around, Han could see rows upon rows of terra cotta warriors, their demonic red eyes staring right at him. While most would be scared witless, Han kept his composure as he continued to approach Jindiao, stopping only when he was about halfway toward the tyrannical reptile.

"General Hanfang," Jindiao greeted with mock civility, "I am so glad you could join us." Mu Lang smiled wickedly as she heard this, a clear indication to Han that this was going to go the way he thought.

"I am here, Jindiao," Han began with a determined expression as he stood to full height, "I have come to negotiate." Jindiao smiled evilly upon hearing this, finally seizing the opportunity to reveal his plan.

"No," he growled menacingly, "you have come to die." An evil chuckle sounded throughout the clearing as Jindiao began to circle his long, serpentine body around Han, continuing to speak as he did so.

"You know General, in my time in that confounded urn, I came to the realization that, as long as people like you and these Kung Fu masters live, there will always be one thing that stands as a foil to my plans." Han quirked an eyebrow at this.

"And what is that?" he inquired, leading Jindiao to growl out his answer.

"Hope...once I am through with you," the dragon continued, "and those stupid pretenders, no one, not even your beloved regiment, will dare oppose me." With that said, Jindiao reeled his head back, taking a deep breath as an unearthly light could be seen in his throat. Han knew what was about to happen...and he was ready. But before the inevitable, he was bound to get the last word.

"So long as there is good in the world," he said, calmly closing his eyes as he spoke, "there is always hope."

With that said, Jindiao blasted Han with burning dragon firing, throwing the buck back a good 50 feet before his limp body came to a stop on it's side. Returning to his previous position beside Mu Lang, Jindiao motioned for said wolf to examine Han's body. Walking to the still form of her adversary, Mu Lang knelt down beside him.

Placing her hand in front of his nose and mouth, Mu Lang felt no breath.

Placing her hand on his neck, Mu Lang felt no pulse.

Looking back to her master, Mu Lang shared his evil smile at what had transpired.

Hanfang, General of the Eighth Royal Regiment, was dead.

"Prepare our forces to move out at dawn," Jindiao instructed Mu Lang, a look of confusion forming on the wolf's face.

"Why dawn, master?" Jindiao chuckled menacingly.

"Their fear and unrest will sweeten our victory."

* * *

...

Darkness

...

Darkness fading into light

...

Light forming into vision

...

Then a voice...a child's voice

...

"Come on Uncle Han, it's time to go."

At that moment Han's eyes snapped open as he took a sharp breath. Bolting upright, he found himself sitting in a chair in the middle of a rather small living space, wood smoldering in a nearby fireplace. Feeling someone tugging on his sleeve, Han looked down, only for his eyes to widen upon seeing a young fawn in a simple tan tunic and black trousers, the little doe's emerald eyes sparkling as she smile broadly at him.

"Come on Uncle Han," the little doe giggled, running out of a nearby door, from which the sound and smell of the ocean could be perceived.

"Huifang?" Han whispered, as he slowly rose out of his seat, hesitantly walking after the young doe who looked so much like his niece at that age. Han suddenly froze as he passed a mirror hanging on the wall beside the door. Looking into the mirror, Han was surprised to see a strapping young buck, barely into his twenties, dressed in a neatly kept blue military uniform. But what surprised Han was the fact that the buck's blonde mane and and clean shaven face showed no sign's of greying, or aging for that matter. Bringing a hand up, Han could see that it was in fact him in the mirror...when he was much younger.

"You gonna just stand there, or are you gonna walk with us?" Han instantly froze at the sound of a voice he had not heard in a long time. Turning slowly, Han was met with the sight of another young buck, his tan-colored fur and rusty mane complimented greatly by his red tunic and bespectacled teal eyes.

"Chi," Han rasped out as he beheld the buck he had not seen in a long, the last of which being at the latter's funeral.

"Hello Big Brother," Chi responded, the smile on his face widening even more. Outstretching his arm, Chi led Han outside. Upon stepping out of the door, Han could see that they were on the doorstep of a beach side shack, the smell of salt water tantalizing his nostrils as so many memories came back. Looking down to the beach itself, Han could see little Huifang playing with her mother, who looked so much like her daughter, save for a sea-blue hanfu with wave patterns, as well as her stunning golden eyes. Feeling on hand on his shoulder, Han turned to meet the warm gaze of his little brother.

"We have much to talk about," he said.

After moving down to the beach to join little Huifang and her mother, the group began to walk down the shoreline, with Han and Chi lagging behind as the two females walked ahead, the former sporting a broad smile when he saw his niece pick up a very particular sea-shell.

"So I'm dead?" Han asked out of the blue looking to his brother, who squinted before answering.

"Well...yes and no," Chi said. "You see, while your earthly body is dead, your soul is still attached. What you see here is a memory, now linked to the Spirit Realm. Really in the end, you can make that choice." Han was astounded.

"You mean I can go back?" Han whispered with excitement, "I can go back to Huifang, Su, all of them?" Chi chuckled at his brother's enthusiasm before answering.

"Yes," he said with a sad smile, one that Han quickly caught on to. Han then realized what his brother was implying.

"Chi," Han said hesitantly, both stopping in their tracks, "I would love nothing more than to stay with you. Believe me, I have missed you so much, that I would have given anything just to see your face again. And know that I have, I realize that it's not my time. I...I am going to be a father. A-and I want to be there for my child and their mother, so that I can experience what you had." Looking into his brother's eyes as he spoke, Han was relieved to see only love and understanding.

"Han," Chi began as he cupped both of his brother's cheeks, "you have become a far better man than I could have ever hoped to be. And you will make an amazing father. I mean, just look at Huifang. Because of you, her mother and I could not be more proud of the woman she has become." Han smiled lovingly at his brother, a smile that soon took on a teasing nature.

"So you have no problem with Huifang and Shi Long...y-you know...?"

"The only thing a father could ever want of his child is for them to be happy," Chi said with a laugh, pulling away from Han, only for his smile to take on a more somber note. "But tell me Han, when you return, will YOU truly be happy?"

"What do you mean?" Han inquired.

"Do you feel how young you are now?" For the first time, Han actually noticed that his body felt lighter, his limbs felt stronger, and his mind felt sharper. Noticing that Han did in fact take this into account, Chi continued. "What does that tell?" In an instant, Han knew.

"I'm tired, Chi." Upon hearing this, Chi smiled.

"The chapter of general in the book of your life is over Han. It's time. And I think Su, the girls, and Chang know that too."

"Chang?" Han asked incredulously.

"Chang has realized he's taken about as much as he can bare. The same with Jade." Upon hearing this, Han lowered his head in deep thought, before finally nodding.

"As for the others," Chi continued, inclining his head to the area behind Han, "tell them not to worry too much about their friends." Looking behind him, Han felt a warm smile tug at his lips as he took in the forms of friends recently lost; Long, Haoxin, Monkey, Mantis, Xinshi, Croc, even Ox relaxing on the beach as casually as if on vacation. But after a few minutes, Han felt Chi's breath on his ear as he spoke.

"It's time to wake up, Han."

* * *

Darkness once again, with voices filling the void as Han was able to recognize every one...

"You have made me so proud, my son..."

_Mother_

"Come say hello to your niece..."

_Chi_

"I love you guys..."

_Huifang_

"You're a pretty decent guy Han...I see why Su likes you so much..."

_Wing_

"I would be proud to have you as my brother..."

Wan

"That child of yours is going to be something special..."

_Ox_

"I Love You..."

_Su_

* * *

Han drew in a sharp gasp as air once again flowed into his lungs, his eyes snapping open at the same time. Clutching at his chest, Han could feel the singed fabric of his tunic, a clear reminder of what had just transpired between him and Jindiao.

Speaking of the evil dragon, Han could see that he and his forces had vacated the forest, a clear sign that they were returning to the Forbidden City.

Quickly reaching underneath his tunic, Han pulled out the red jade necklace, only to find to his astonishment, the stone had now become pure green jade. Putting the necklace back were it had been, Han quickly, although unsteadily at first, rose to feet, the aches and pains of his body reminding him of the conversation he had had with his late brother. Putting that to the back of his mind, Han began to race for the Forbidden City with only one thing on his mind.

"My Family...I am Coming."

* * *

Nan barely slept a wink. The fact that his general had not returned from his negotiations with Jindiao, combined with the fact that said dragon hadn't sent another attack weighed heavily on not only his nerves, but the nerves of everyone else. Finally, around the time that first light hit, everyone in the catacombs decided to risk it and get outside. Slowly, hordes of citizen's and warriors began to trickle out of the palace gates, many growing at the sudden change in light, bringing their hands up to shield their eyes.

Chang and Jade were assisting Hu and Wan in helping to move the wounded to the throne room of the palace. Elsewhere, Po, his students, and the remainder of the Five, along with Xiao, the Wu Sister's, Huifang, and Shi Long were helping to tend to the citizens as they moved out into the Palace courtyard. Unfortunately, any chance of rest was dashed as the sound of stone against stone filled their ears. Looking to the main gates of the courtyards, the wooden doors were blown open as columns of terra cotta warriors marched through, led by a very pleased Mu Lang.

Upon hearing the commotion outside, Po and his group quickly moved to the courtyard, their eyes widening in horror at what stood before them. Before long, the people were induced with more fear as Jindiao swooped down, hovering over them as he laughed maniacally. As this occurred, Su and her sisters, along with Chang and Huifang searched desperately find any sign of Han. Unfortunately, their search turned up empty.

**"CITIZENS OF THE FORBIDDEN CITY!"** Jindiao bellowed out, **"SOLDIERS OF THE EIGHTH ROYAL REGIMENT!...GENERAL HANFANG...IS DEAD!"** A collective gasp resounded in the courtyard, followed by a heartbroken scream.

**"NOOO!"** Huifang bellowed, tears of rage running down her cheeks as she charged for Jindiao, only to be held back by Su and Jade, the former of the two's cheeks now soaked with her own tears as she held the young doe close, her rage dissipating into pure sorrow.

**"SILENCE!"** Jindiao bellowed, before his eyes lit up at the sight of Jade and Huifang, a sadistic smile forming on his lips. "Oh my dear Jade Tusk and Huifang," he said in a mockingly sweet voice, "how I have missed you. But did you not hear me, Huifang...your uncle...is dead." The way he said this made it clear that Jindiao was speaking to Huifang as if he were speaking to a child, before yelling in a thunderous laugh, **"DEEEEEAAAAAAAD!"** Mu Lang began to laugh wickedly with her master as the demons possessing the terra cotta warrior made a thunderous noise, as if they were cheering.

"Now then," Jindiao continued after calming down from his revelry, "in celebration of this tremendous occasion, I have decided to invite those who would wish to join our ranks to step forward! Any who do not, will be destroyed!" For several long minutes, everyone stood silent. From where she stood beside Huifang, Jade looked around to see if anyone would dare join Jindiao. But, if Han was truly dead, it might be their only chance of survival. At this point, everyone, save for the wounded, were in the courtyard, seeing who would be the first to step forward. To everyone's surprise, it was Nan, his head held low, a musket grasped in his hand.

"Well," Jindiao laughed, "I was expecting better." This earned a chuckle form Mu Lang as they looked upon the young. "what is your name, my boy?" Jindiao inquired, never once loosing his smile.

"N-Nan Hai," Nan timidly said, never once raising his head. Nearby, Jun shed a single tear as she saw Nan reduced to such a state. Jindiao and Mu Lang merely laughed.

"Well Nan Hai," Jindiao said, "I am sure we can find a place for you in our..."

"I'd like to say something." Jindiao was taken aback as he was interrupted by this seemingly insignificant young buck, whose head was now raised high in defiance. From nearby, Xiongdi couldn't help but feel some respect for the buck he had pestered the night before. Nan's confidence, having found it's way into his voice, which now sounded much deeper, even caused a chill to run up Jun's spine as her eyes stared longingly at Nan.

"Well Nan," Jindiao said after recovering from his shock, a mocking smile on his face as he spoke, "I am sure we would all be very interested in what you have to say." After another few moments, Nan spoke.

"It doesn't matter that Han's gone."

"Nan," Chang warned, only to be cut off by Nan.

"Chang, people die everyday...friends...family. Yeah, we lost Han. But he's still with us…in here, in our hearts!" Nan emphasized this by patting his chest.

"So is Long, Xinshi, Haoxin, Croc…all of them. They didn't die in vain!" Nan's face then turned to one of shear determination and defiance as he glared at a laughing Jindiao and Mu Lang who seemed to be having the time of their lives.

"But you will! Cause you're wrong! Han's heart did beat for us! For all of us! **IT"S NOT OVER!**" With that, Nan raised up his musket to fire it a second later, the round going through the heads of five terra cotta warriors. Upon seeing this, a smile crept to Chang's face. Drawing his sword that he kept at his side, Chang gave a great yell.

**"CHARGE!"**

Within an instant, with a mighty cry, the remaining soldiers and guards charged toward the terra cotta warriors, and vice versa. In a matter of seconds, shots rang out as muskets were fired, clanging sounded as blades met, and yells and shattering were heard as clay and bodies were broken.

In the midst of the battle, Po and his friends, Huifang, Shi Long, and Jade worked hard to get the citizens back into the catacombs, which they were able to do with no casualties, but a few injuries. Unfortunately, Shi Long was so distracted by helping an elderly sheep couple that she failed to notice a terra cotta warrior come up behind. But, Huifang saw, and she realized she could do nothing.

**"SHI LONG!"** she yelled in terror. Upon hearing her name, Shi Long turned just in time to see the terra cotta warrior about to bring it's sword down on her. But, in the next instant, the warriors head was shattered as a shot rang out, the clay warriors body collapsing on the ground. Looking to the source of the shot, Shi Long's eyes widened as a smile quickly formed on her face. There, standing in the middle of the stairs leading to the palace, was Xiao with a musket aimed right where the terra cotta warrior just stood.

"Not my sister, you oversized planter," she growled before dropping the weapon. On instinct, Shi Long ran to the lynx, who met her halfway. In an instant, both girls threw their arms around each other, tears streaming down their cheeks as they shared their first true embrace as sisters.

"XIAO!" Jade called as she and Huifang ran toward the two, followed closely by Chang, "We need to make sure the citizens remain safe!"

"ON IT!" the young lynx replied, only to let out a startled scream as she quickly stepped out of the way of a downward blow from a terra cotta warriors sword, said warrior meeting it's end by Jade's hand. Unfortunately, more warriors continued to come. The soldiers and guards were holding their own for the time being, but unless they got help soon, they would be overwhelmed. Before long, the group took in the sound of hissing and growling, as well as the shattering of multiple warriors. Looking to the sound, the group couldn't help but smile as they saw the Wu Vortex taking out countless warriors.

"I honestly feel bad for those flower pots," Chang said, earning around of nods from the others. Unfortunately, their revelry was cut short as a section of the courtyard was blow apart. Looking to the source, their eyes widened at the sight of Jindiao sending down dragon fire as a means to quell their attack. One blast even caught the Wu sisters off guard, effectively separating them and knocking Wing unconscious. Realizing now that the enemy would have the advantage, Chang called to the men as he pointed toward large chunks of rubble.

**"TAKE COVER MEN!"**

Soon, the remaining guards and soldiers, as well as the Wu Sisters, began to fall back to the large pieces of stone. But as Chang began to do so, he and his group failed to notice that Jindiao had launched another shot at them. Looking up, Chang's eyes widened in horror as the ball of fire approached. On instinct, Chang threw his body over Jade to protect her from the blast. Only, the impact never came as the flaming round was severed in half. Confused, Chang rose from his position, waving away the smoke to take in a much welcome sight. Standing before him, his tunic and under tunic missing their right sleeves, his face covered in soot and scratches, was Han, a sword clasped in both hands as the blade smoked from diverting the blast.

**"GENERAL!"** Chang cried out with glee.

**"CHANG GET BACK!"** Han cried out, destroying a few warriors that came too close. Upon seeing this, Jindiao felt a deep rage burn within him. Looking up to the perturbed reptile, Han sent a mocking smile of his own.

**"HEY JINDIAO! YOU KNOW HOW MAY TERRA COTTA WARRIORS I HAD TO SMASH TO GET HERE?! SERIOUSLY...I LOST COUNT!"** This resulted in a round of hoots and hollers from his men, as well as the guards. Nearby, Su wept tears of joy as she saw that her lover was still alive, the same for Huifang as her uncle stood before her very eyes.

**"KILL THEM ALL!"** Jindiao bellowed as he swooped down toward Han. Fortunately for the buck, Han was fast enough to be able to duck out of the way and latch onto Jindiao when the dragon came close enough, the demented reptile soaring with his unwanted passenger into the sky, leaving the others behind as the battle resumed. Shouting to Po and the others, Chang made sure that they tended to the citizens, along with the Wu Sister's, Xiao, and the others, leaving Chang alone with Jade. But, they were not alone for long as Nan, a fresh gash in his head from one of Jindiao's explosions, bounded up to them.

"How you feeling Nan?" Chang asked the clearly exuberant buck.

"GREAT!" he exclaimed, " I feel like I can spit fire! Say, you haven't sen Jun have you?"

"Why?" Jade asked, clearly confused.

"I'm crazy about her!" he yelled as he made his way toward the palace, his voice rising the further away he got, "I figure it's about time I told her **SINCE WE'LL PROBABLY BOTH BE DEAD BY NOON!"** Upon hearing this, Chang and Jade looked at each other. Within an instant, the two were in each other's arms, their lips crashing against each other as they packed all the love they had for each other in this one kiss.

"Isn't that sweet," came a feral growl. Quickly pulling away from each other, Chang and Jade bared their teeth at Mu Lang, who was doing the same with two swords drawn, the blades level with her waist. Slowly bringing his own blade into a defensive position, Chang placed him self into a dueling stance as Jade drew two daggers, promptly doing the same.

"This is going to be fun," Mu Lang snarled before lunging at the two water deer.

Meanwhile, Han was trying his hardest to stay on Jindiao's back as the dragon tried every possible move he could to shake the buck. But, try as he might, he could not overcome Han's determination. Reaching under his tunic, Han grasped the jade green pendant on the necklace he wore, ripping it from his neck as he did so.

"Got news for you buddy," Han said as he brought his fist back, the stone clenched firmly in it, "you should have stayed in that urn."

But before Han could deliver the killing blow, he found himself thrown off balance as Jindiao made a sudden turn in mid air, causing Han to lose his grip on the stone, said gem plummeting until it landed in the courtyard bellow. Undeterred, Han drew his sword, quickly driving it into the back of Jindiao's neck, causing the dragon to roar in pain as blood leaked from his wound. As soon as the blade was deep enough, Han twisted the hilt to the right, prompting Jindiao to do the same. Before long, Han was literally steering the dragon he was on.

Back in the courtyard, Jade and Chang were trading savage blows with their opponent, who seemed to keep coming at them with feral rage, her swords swinging wildly as she tried desperately to land a hit on her adversaries. Chang actually managed to step back just in time as an expertly aimed swing from Mu Lang nearly took off his head. Jade took advantage of the opening by diving for Mu Lang's middle, only too be kicked away by said wolf who managed to block a downward strike from Chang. Out of the corner of her eye, Mu Lang saw Jade shakily rise to her feet. With a cruel smile, Mu Lang kicked Chang away before leaping behind Jade, placing the blade of one of her swords against the doe's neck.

"I gotta say Chang," she chuckled at the wide eyed buck, "you have some moves. Maybe after I kill your girlfriend, and Master Jindiao takes over the world, we can celebrate by fucking until we're sore." Chang's eyes widened even further in disgust. "And who knows," Mu Lang continued with a sick smile, "maybe I'll let your girlfriend live long enough to watch me ride you, making sure the last thing she hears is you screaming my name as you empty your balls."

"You have some sick fantasies Mu Lang," Chang sneered as he cautiously approached the demented wolf, who while she was taunting her opponent, failed to notice Jade subtly positioning her body in order to free herself.

"Maybe," she said with shrug, "but in the end you must realize, that you and your girlfriend, are not the better warriors." Looking to Jade, Chang flashed a confused look as she winked at a him, a grin forming on her face. Soon, Chang's confusion cleared up as he saw that Jade still had one of her daggers in her hand.

"You're right, Mu Lang..." Chang said with a mock expression of defeat, resulting in a smug smirk from Mu Lang. Unfortunately for the she-wolf, the smirk quickly vanished as Jade threw her head back into the wolf's muzzle, shocking the canine who was now sporting a bloody nose as Jade freed herself by flipping over the stunned wolf. However, Mu Lang's nose was the least of her problems.

In an instant, Jade thrust the blade of her dagger into Mu Lang's back, the wolf's eyes going wide in shock at the sudden feeling of pain. At that point, Chang calmly approached Mu Lang, placing a hand of her shoulder to steady her frame as he brought the tip of his sword up to her throat, murderous intent in his eyes.

"...our friends were better warriors." As soon as he said that, Chang thrust his sword forward, the air around him quickly filled with the sound of a wide eyed Mu Lang choking on her own blood. After a few moments, the sound stopped as the demented wolf's eyes rolled into the back of her head. Pulling their respective blades out of the wolf, Chang and Jade let her body fall to the ground in a growing pool of her own blood. Looking at the defeated wolf for a moment, the two water deer looked to each other before finding themselves in a tight embrace. Unfortunately, the tender moment was once again cut off as the pair heard the sound of an agonizing scream raining down from above.

Bracing himself for impact, Han felt himself flung from Jindiao's back as they crashed into the courtyard. Greatly disoriented, Han quickly steadied himself as he looked around the courtyard for the jade stone, eventually finding it, with some difficulty, in the middle of the large space. Rushing to the stone, Han soon found himself dodging terra cotta warriors and fire blasts from a fully recovered Jindiao.

But once Han was within thirty feet a Jindiao, he gave a great leap toward the dragon, his hand once again curled into a fist around the stone. With as much force as he could muster, Han threw a great punch into Jindiao's chest, his fist actually managing to penetrate the skin. It was at that moment, that Jindiao realized he felt no pain. But what he did feel was a numbing feeling. Looking down to Han, Jindiao, along with Han, Jade and Chang, could see green light imitating from his wound.

Before long, all the color from Jindiao's body began to vanish as his whole form started to turn into ash, much like it had during his defeat at the panda village nearly a year earlier. Only this time, he would not be coming back. Leaning his head back, Jindiao let out a long gasp as he body finally faded into oblivion. As the last of Jindiao's remains floated away, Han was left holding a shimmering jade stone in his hand. Soon, the light faded, and Han, after staring at the stone for a few moments, before dropping on the ground and shattering it under his foot. When that happened, the terra cotta warriors began falling were they stood. Without their master and is power, their was nothing keeping the demonic forces in the land of the living.

Looking to Chang and Jade, Han slowly limped toward them, a small smile on his face as he did. The smile was soon returned by the captain and his girlfriend. Soon, the three found themselves laughing as they pulled each other into a tight embrace, an embrace they held for a few minutes before deciding to wander into the throne room.

* * *

Upon arriving in the now crowded room, the trio couldn't help but smile at the sight they beheld; people, warriors and citizens alike, were laughing, talking, even sleeping. Slowly, the three water deer made their way through the crowd, taking in some pleasant sites along the way.

Off to the side, they saw Xiongdi joking with Nan, the latter with Jun sitting on his lap, the two sharing a tender kiss every once in a while.

Further along, they saw, Shifu and the rest of the five regaling a group of children about their past deeds.

Past them sat Po with his arm placed lovingly around Tigress, the latter being bombarded with questions from Nu Hai as Jing and Bao laughed at the tiger's "misery."

Further ahead, Jade could see Tou Lu chatting with her old clan sisters. Running to the doe, Jade and Tou Lu greeted each other with a hug and a laugh.

Han was pleasantly surprised to see Xiao and Shi long sitting together, the pair smiling and laughing as they talked, their hands in each other's grasp.

Looking to his left, Han smiled as he saw Hu and Wan sitting beside each other, the feline with her head on the buck's shoulder, neither of them saying a word. Just enjoying each other's company, along with Wing, who had actually fallen asleep with her head on her sister's lap.

It was at that moment that Han noticed Huifang and Su approaching him and Chang. As soon as Huifang reached, him, Han enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"Sweet Hui," he softly chuckled, before turning to Su, leaving Huifang to give a hug to Chang. As Han looked back to Su, the two lovers just stared into each other's eyes before Han wrapped is arms around Su in a tight embrace, the feline moaning softly at the feeling of being in her lover's arms.

* * *

"Xiao told me that the remainder of the Dzungars will not be attempting another attack," Jade said, "and General Song and his men will be hear in a week to help clean up., " Chang reported as he, Han, Su and Jade sat on the front steps of the palace, enjoying the now sunny day, the silence now a nice change of pace from all the chaos that had transpired.

For a while, the group just sat in silence. Han actually had his head resting back on Su's chest as said feline twiddled with his mane. Jade and Chang merely sat side by side, holding hands as lovers do. The silence lasted until Han finally spoke up.

"I'm ready to go home," he said in just barely a whisper, "I've come to realize I'm old and tired." Chang, upon hearing this, let out a hum of agreement.

"Me too...not about the old part." Han actually allowed a smile to form on his lips.

"Yeah, my brother told me you would be." Chang and the two female's looked at Han with wide eyes, only to relax a moment later at what he meant.

"You saw Chi in the Spirit Realm?" Su inquired, raking her fingers through Han's mane. Han simply hummed in response.

"Was he everything you remembered?" Han thought about for a moment before responding.

"And more." Han then reached up one of his hands, which Su gladly took in one of hers.

"The war is over my love," Han said, bringing the top of her hand to his lips, gently pecking it before he continued to speak.

"Now it will just be us...and our child."

* * *

The celebration lasted into the night.

But, the following morning, everyone was very somber.

Throughout the day, bodies were moved from the streets and the catacombs.

At least the ones they could find.

The rubble was cleared away from the Army Headquarters Courtyard. From there, hundreds of graves were formed, the fallen warriors laid to rest in what would become a garden of remembrance, one that could be visited by soldiers and citizens alike.

Haoxin was buried alongside her fallen sisters.

Monkey and Mantis were buried together as a testament to their friendship.

Croc was buried beside Ox, as the others felt it fitting to let these two comrades find eternal peace together.

And at the forefront of it all, a helmet, perched upon a sword, the tip being embedded in the ground, it's surface decorated with orange, white, and black stripes as a memorial to Long Chi, and his comrades who fell at Wu Fortress.

A pair of wings even adorned the helmet as a tribute to Xinshi.

No tears were shed, as they had been shed enough two nights prior.

Instead, there were only smiles, for the living knew that these sacrifices were not made in vain.

Looking to Su, Han smiled as he was to make sure of it.


	9. Epilogue

**One Week Later**

* * *

The wedding was simple. A private ceremony held in the garden's of the Imperial palace, which meant only a handful of the regiment was able to attend.

As she leaned on a beaming Hu's shoulder, a singled tear escaped Wan's eye as she watched her oldest sister about to marry the love of her life.

Wing merely stood with a small smile, although internally, she was very happy for her sister.

Chang stood at the front of the small congregation, Jade's arm linked in his, wearing the jade hanfu she had worn when he and the regiment arrived.

Po and his student's stood behind them, along with Shifu and the remainder of the Five. To Po's surprise, he thought he could see Tigress fighting back tears, said feline soon looking at him with loving eyes, which Po returned after a moment of shock.

Nan held Jun close to his side, the latter actually a total mess as she wept at the beautiful scene before her.

Huifang was in the same situation as Shi Long pulled her into a loving embrace.

And at the altar, stood the two lovers, the bride garbed in a scarlet hanfu with gold trim, and the groom, clad in a fresh uniform, who actually surprised everyone by appearing at his wedding clean shaven.

"I always thought that thing hid too much of your handsome face," Su teasingly whispered, causing Han to roll his eyes, "and it makes you look much younger."

Before long, the wedding was underway with Xiao officiating. By the end, even Chang was finding it hard to control his tears.

Then, the moment came.

As Xiao finished the ceremony, Han and Su leaned in, capturing each other's lips in their first kiss as a married couple.

The Garden was soon filled with cheers and congratulations as Han and Su began the next chapter in their lives as they had started it from the beginning;

Together.

* * *

**Five Years Later**

* * *

They say all is fair in love and war, but from what I have seen, love has an unfair advantage...not that I am complaining.

Following the Battle of the Forbidden City, many things changed.

Chang and Han resigned from the army, their places quickly being filled by two very deserving men.

General Hu Chan is a natural leader, backed by his ever loyal Captain Nan Hai...the youngest to ever achieve the rank of Captain, I believe. In Hu's place as medic was, believe it or not, Wan, who apparently had always had a deep fascination with medicine.

Almost a year after the battle, Hu and Wan married. A year later, they brought a beautiful son into the world, a young buck who looked every bit like his father, but with his mothers fur... which is bound to turn a few heads.

Nan Hai and Fa Jun began a steady relationship, one that eventually grew into something more. Two years after Jindiao's attack, they married. One year later, Jun gave birth to twin girls.

Xiao and Shi Long formed a strong bond as only sisters had. Following the battle, Xiao issued a full pardon for Shi Long's crimes, finally granting her her freedom.

In the time since the battle, Shi Long and Huifang married, and even adopted a young wolf cub named Xiao Gou. Now that's a blended family.

Fan Tong had recently been asked back to the capital by Xiao, who surprised him with a proposal of marriage. In a way that only a bumbling Fan Tong could, he accepted. The two married this previous month, and Xiao is already said to be with child.

Master Po and his students eventually returned to his home village high in the mountains, where they regaled the villagers with their tales of heroics.

Master Po would return to the Valley of Peace with Master Shifu and the remainder of the Furious Five, who actually found some new members in that time.

Tou Lu, wanting to find a greater purpose in the world after the loss of her sister, asked to join, along with Nu Hai who wanted to learn from the "Great Master Tigress" herself. Master Shifu just couldn't refuse.

Po and Tigress pursued a romantic relationship, eventually marrying that summer. The next summer they sired a beautiful baby girl, a white furred tiger whom they named Hu Xiong.

Jade left her position as head guard of Xiao's security force. While Xiao and the other guards were sad to see their friend go, they understood why. Jade's decision had come five mouths after the battle, when Chang, who briefley worked in his father's bar before pursuing a career in architecture, proposed to her. Wanting to be with her future husband, Jade passed the mantel of her position to Wing. Jade and Chang married the next summer, and just two months ago, Jade gave birth to their second child, a little doe that they named Song, whose older brother Zihao absolutely adored.

Wing took to her new position well, her skill and, um, "personalty" instantly making her a well respected favorite among Xiao and the other guards. Wing actually took to one guard named Shouhu. The two will have been dating for nearly three years now. They are even talking of adopting just as Huifang and Shi Long had.

As for me and Han...

* * *

"MAMA!" Su jumped as her attention was pulled from her piece of parchment, silently thanking the universe that her quill had not scratched over her writing. Looking to the source of the sudden interruption, any anger Su felt quickly vanished as she smiled at the beaming leopard cub by her side.

"Hello Niu," Su giggled as she scooped her daughter up into her lap, the little cub's emerald eyes twinkling with delight, "what brings you here?"

"Papa says Uncle Chang and Aunt Jade are here," the cub answered excitedly, her noticeably longer fangs, having been inherited from her father, gleaming in the light. Su chuckled as she kissed her daughters head, eliciting a small giggle from the cub.

"Well tell them I'll be out in a few minutes, dear," Su cooed as she set her daughter down, the little cub running out of her mother's writing room. Shaking her head in amusement as she looked after her little girl, Su smile as she returned to her work, only to be interrupted again by Han, his beard having grown back, but much less grey, clad in blue tunic and black trousers, appearing much more relaxed, and because of that, noticeably younger than a fifty-year-old man should look.

"Put the quill down," he teased as he crossed over to his wife, leaning down to gently kiss her head, "and join your family." Rolling her eyes, Su put the quill down before picking up the piece of parchment, placing it beneath a stack of other pieces of parchment.

"Just got finished," she said, turning to her love and placing a tender kiss on his lips before leaving the room, followed closely by Han, all while the last words of her work made her smile in deep fondness.

_As for me and Han...and our daughter Niu..._

_Life could not be more perfect._

And at the top of the stack of parchment,

a title.

_Love and War_

_by Su Fang_

* * *

**Eighteen Years Earlier**

* * *

The music drifting in from the streets was calming, hypnotic in a way. Not that Han and Su minded.

To the them, the only thing that mattered at that point was holding each other close, swaying as the music swirled around, the vacant tavern, courtesy of Han buying it out for a "private party.".

From nearby, Wan smiled as she sat at a table, sipping her wine as Wing stood nearby, an indifferent look on her face as she swirled her whiskey in her cup.

While she didn't trust Han too much, him being a soldier and all, she couldn't help but agree with her little sister that the soldier and their older sister were made for each other.

She just couldn't believe it had been two years since Han convinced the Emperor to pardon them, in exchange for their service as spies.

Wan stood to stand by her sister, the smile never once leaving her face, although it did falter when she saw her Wing's.

"I'm not sure if I trust him either," she admitted, "but, I think we can trust Su's judgement."

"After a moment," Wing nodded in agreement, accompanied by a small hum. Looking to her little sister, Wing couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips upon seeing her sister's compassionate smile. Looking back to Han and Su, the two sisters continued to smile as the pair continued to dance, Su's head resting on Han's chest.

Soon, the two found themselves looking into each other's eyes as the song outside began to come to an end.

"I love you," Su said for the first time with adoration. Han smiled.

"And I love You."

And with that, the two leaned toward each other, cementing their bond with a deep and passionate kiss.

A kiss made possibly through Love and War.

* * *

**~*The End*~**


End file.
